The next general elections in the Cayman Islands could take place as early November 2008. Or they could happen in May 2009. Or the elections might not happen until November 2009.
The Government, however, is not sure at this early stage.
‘I don’t know the answer to those questions,’ Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts said Friday.
The last elections were scheduled to take place in November 2004, but Hurricane Ivan, which hit Grand Cayman in September of that year, postponed the elections until May 2005. From the standpoint of the standard four-year elected term of Members of the Legislative Assembly, the next election would occur in May 2005.
‘There are some practical difficulties in leaving the elections in May,’ Mr. Tibbetts said. ‘There are also problems with moving it up to November 2008.’
Mr. Tibbetts said no government would want to serve less than the standard four-year term.
‘And certainly not this government.’
One thing the government does know is that having the elections in May with its financial year running from July 1 through June 30 is not what it wants to see.
Mr. Tibbetts said there was a good reason for the elections to be held in November.
‘It is extremely difficult for any government to function with the way the fiscal year is now for the elections to be held in May.’
With the government’s budget due by the June sitting of the Legislative Assembly in the current fiscal year, a new government coming into power after a May election would not have enough time to prepare a proper budget.
In addition, under the government’s current fiscal year, the Strategic Policy Statement, on which many aspects of the budget are predicated, is due to be delivered in December.
‘There are a whole slew of things in place that make it better to have the elections in November,’ Mr. Tibbetts said.
Any change in the schedule, however, would have to be agreed upon by the United Kingdom.
Mr. Tibbetts said informal discussions had been held on the matter with United Kingdom.
‘What we were told unofficially is that it is not normal practice for the UK to allow variations of time between elections,’ he said. ‘However, the UK would consider it if there was a good reason.’
Mr. Tibbetts said the entire body of elected representatives would have to be in favour of the move.
‘I have mentioned it to the Leader of the Opposition and he has spoken to his colleagues.’
Another option would be to change the government’s fiscal year back to the calendar year. That is not something Mr. Tibbetts would like to see.
‘If you have to change the fiscal year back, you’d turn the civil service upside down again,’ he said. ‘All roads lead to the changing of the election back to November.
‘The question is do you go six months earlier or six months later. I hope good sense prevails.’
Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush confirmed that Mr. Tibbetts had spoken to him about moving the elections to November 2009.
‘My colleagues and I have not made a decision yet,’ he said. ‘But I can tell you this: if they keep raising the cost of living and firing Caymanians from Government, I think the country will want them to have a shorter period, not a longer period.’
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