By now many people are aware that we are trying to collect approximately 4,000 signatures to trigger a people initiated referendum to adopt the system of one man, one vote in single-member constituencies for electing representatives across the Cayman Islands.
Simply put, one man, one vote means that a registered voter will be able to vote for only one candidate in their constituency during an election. If sufficient signatures are collected to trigger the referendum and a majority of voters should vote in favour of the one man, one vote then candidates in the May 2013 general election will contest the 16 single-member constituencies across Grand Cayman. It was proposed by the Electoral Boundaries Commission in their 2010 report that George Town should have six single member constituencies, West Bay would retain their four, Bodden Town would increase from three to four with East End, North Side and Cayman Brac and Little Cayman remaining unchanged. This may be contrasted with the current multi-member constituencies whereby each registered voter is able to cast a number of votes equal to the number of representatives in the Legislative Assembly allotted to their electoral district. For example, George Town currently has four representatives in the Legislative Assembly and each voter in George Town during the last election would have been allowed to cast four votes, one for each representative.
As with other issues, there are arguments for and against one man, one vote. Opponents believe that one man, one vote in single-member constituencies will encourage our representatives to become even more myopic and further entrench the rivalry between communities for the allocation of scarce national resources. However, proponents of one man one vote argue that it provides opportunities for better representation of a constituency as the single representative would have a much smaller number of constituents to represent, is more likely to have a better understanding of their needs and therefore better able to advocate on their behalf in the Legislative Assembly. Additionally, the single representative would be more accountable than the current system of multiple representatives where each one is able to shift responsibility to another. The potential for the blame game is even greater where both parties are able to win seats in a multi-member constituency.
If the current petition is successful in triggering a referendum to determine whether the country should adopt a system of one man, one vote, and there is no reason to believe that it will not succeed, the Caymanian electorate will for the first time in decades elect their representatives based on the individual attributes of each candidate and not because of the popularity of a running mate. Therefore, attributes such as the character and integrity of the candidates, the capability, qualifications and relevant experience of newcomers, the track record of incumbents, each candidate’s ability to present credible and reasonable short and long term solutions to social and economic issues facing their constituents in particular and the country generally should be critical factors in determining the outcome of an election. In essence, what is it that qualifies a particular candidate to effectively represent the needs of that particular community and the country generally?
No one should believe that one man, one vote will be a panacea for all time; however, it has the potential to raise the calibre of our representatives in the Legislative Assembly, but only if the Caymanian electorate believes that better representation is something they deserve to have and insist on having it to ensure a brighter future in the Cayman Islands.
If there is a referendum, and whether or not the electorate prefers one man, one vote with single-member constituencies over the current system of multiple votes in multi-member constituencies, we should remain cognisant of the fact that it is not the electoral system that destroys a country and erodes investor confidence, rather it is crime, corruption, social unrest and mismanagement of the economy.
Marco Archer
Related Videos
