Bush Government Swept Away In Cayman Election

by Amanda Banks, Tax-News.com, London

13 May 2005

Pledging to hold a referendum on the issue of greater automony from the United Kingdom, the People's Progressive Movement swept away the government of McKeeva Bush in the Cayman Islands election, held on Wednesday.

The PPM, led by Kurt Tibbetts, won nine out of the fifteen seats in the jurisidction's legislature, whilst the governing United Democratic Party won five.

Whilst both candidates were promising changes in the Cayman Islands' constitutional relationship the the UK, Tibbitts is offering to hold a referendum on the issue, whilst Bush favoured new legislation giving more power to elected officials and less to the British governor general.

Voter turnout in the election, which had been delayed by six months due to Hurricane Ivan, was a respectable 78% and the result seemed to reflect widespread disaffection with the UDP after the government granted Caymanian Status (belongership) to several thousand individuals in 2003.

More recently, a series of revelations concerning alleged questionable financial transactions on the part of Government ministers had further eroded support for the UDP.

Commenting on the election result, PPM General Secretary Alden McLaughlin observed: “We have raised concerns throughout this campaign about intimidation and corruption and we now intend to usher in a new culture. We will introduce a new era of consultation and participation with freedom of information and of the press. We intend to introduce a new integrity to government."

Recommended