Governor confirms government of ‘National Unity’
(L-R) Moses Kirkconnell (PPM), Alden McLaughlin (PPM), McKeeva Bush (CDP), Roy Tatum (PPM official), Austin Harris (IND), Dr Joseph Marzouca (CDP official), Deputy Governor Franz Manderson, Governor Helen Kilpatrick and Eugene Ebanks (CDP)
Cayman Islands (CNS) (Adapted) – General elections were held in the Cayman Islands on May 24, 2017. They were the first elections held after electoral reforms approved in a 2012 referendum, which introduced single member constituencies. The People’s Progressive Movement remained the largest party, winning seven of the 19 seats. (See Election Results table)
Reporting on this General Election which resulted in proceedings not unfamiliar to Montserrat, was overtaken by other local, world and regional events and circumstances, and then UK General Elections — Following a very mixed result in the first ever election in the Cayman Islands under the system of ‘one man, one vote’ in which no party, group or alliance has enough seats to form a government, a second attempt at putting together a potential coalition administration that was cobbled together just before midnight on Friday and which would have put former premier McKeeva Bush back at the helm of government was reportedly on shaky ground by Saturday morning.
Various unverified sources suggested that veteran independent MPs, Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean, are not entirely enamoured of the idea of propping up Bush as leader. They appeared to be looking to shape another potential cabinet line-up that could see Bush maneuvered into the speaker’s chair or off the government frontline altogether.
The possibility of a new mix of the independents on the front bench, or an ‘eastern alliance’ with the former incumbent People’s Progressive Movement (PPM), was beginning to emerge.
Meetings were reportedly taking place in hotels in Grand Cayman on Saturday and, in a third possible government deal so far at the weekend, another compromise was being discussed to secure an Independent-PPM alliance that could see deputy premier and tourism minister Moses Kirkconnell as the new premier.
McKeeva Bush front and centre, with Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean in the back
(CNS): Cayman Islands Governor Helen Kilpatrick has confirmed that Alden McLaughlin, the leader of Progressives, has enough support to form a government with him at the helm and the former opposition leader, McKeeva Bush, as speaker after the two political leaders went to meet with her Monday. There are no further details yet about who will be in Cabinet and on the government backbench or who will lead the opposition benches, as there has been no official word from the politicians involved, but Swearing In Day is now set for Wednesday.
As they say, a week is a long time in politics and the week since the election is not over yet, so anything can happen, but as it stands at present the government benches will only include two independents because others who were offered seats at the government table from the various fractions of independent members elected last Wednesday have refused to serve under McLaughlin.
Nevertheless, with seven PPM members returned to the LA and supported by Tara Rivers, McLaughlin has the largest solid group and has been able to pull together a coalition.
Following the meeting with the politicians, Kilpatrick said in a release that Monday afternoon she met with elected representatives Alden McLaughlin, McKeeva Bush, Moses Kirkconnell, Austin Harris and Captain Eugene Ebanks. “Mr McLaughlin provided me with evidence that he had sufficient support to form a ‘Government of National Unity’.”
She added, “Accordingly, I have signed the proclamation to a call a session of the Legislative Assembly for 10:00am Wednesday, 31st May 2017 for the purposes of swearing in all newly elected and appointed members of the Legislative Assembly, voting for a premier pursuant to section 49 (3) of the Constitution of the Cayman Islands, and other attendant matters. Mr McLaughlin has indicated that he will be seeking election to the position of premier and Mr Bush to speaker of the House.”
Table of Elections
