Shadow session of parliament planned Wednesday

Update: Dozens of people gathered in Heroes Square Wednesday to witness the mock session of the Legislative Assembly held by opposition and independent members.

Meanwhile, inside the Legislative Assembly Building, members of the ruling Government were debating the topic of single-member constituencies and one person, one vote.

Leader of the Opposition Alden McLaughlin said the group held the meeting outside to discuss his and independent MLA Ezzard Miller’s motion of no confidence in the leadership of Premier McKeeva Bush. Mr. McLaughlin said the no-confidence motion should be handled before proceeding with any other governmental matters, including one person, one vote.

“Now that is a very, very important issue, and we are keenly interested in it and its outcome. But we do not believe the Premier has the moral authority to continue to deal with the business of this country while under the weight of three criminal investigations for which he has offered absolutely no explanations. So what we have decided to do is boycott the proceedings in the Legislative Assembly today by way of protest because our lack of confidence motion is not being dealt with,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

Mr. McLaughlin said opposition members would return to the Legislative Assembly Thursday for the Special Meeting concerning the specifics of the referendum for the one person, one vote election in July.

Speaking to
the Caymanian Compass Wednesday afternoon, Premier Bush addressed some of the
opposition’s statements.

They want the no-confidence motion. They will get that at some point. Government has set that down to deal with referendum matters. That’s a national issue and a matter of national importance, not a motion based on baseless allegations that we do now know anything about.”

Mr. Bush said members will consider the no-confidence motion after dealing with referendum matters.

“They’ll get it sooner than later, too. But we have to be ready. We are busy preparing for this referendum bill, not for that. The Government sets down business when they’re ready to deal with it,” Mr. Bush said. “I have nothing to hide. I don’t believe it’s right to bring a no-confidence motion when you don’t have any other substance besides an invoice and your spin on it.”

PPM barbs

During a People’s Progressive Movement rally Monday evening in Savannah, Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin gave a preview of statements that may be made Wednesday morning concerning the three police investigations into the premier’s actions. He demanded that Mr. Bush step down as premier by the end of business Tuesday.

Mr. McLaughlin talked about the October 2004 letter from Mr. Bush to Atlanta-based developer Stan Thomas requesting payment of US$350,000 in regard to what Mr. Bush has since described as a real estate bill, and also asked a series of questions broaching topics such as an alleged meeting between Mr. Bush and Mr. Thomas in Las Vegas in March 2004, followed by an ATM withdrawal of US$20,000 and exchange to demonstrate “good faith”, and a wire transfer to a Cayman Islands account of US$350,000.

“I have said enough tonight for all of you or anyone else within the sound of my voice to deduce that I know much more than I have yet said. I do not want to have to tell the country what happened in this whole sordid affair. That, Mr. Bush, is for you to do. I am appealing to you one more time to come clean on this Stan Thomas issue. If you do not want to say what happened, then step aside as premier and let the investigation proceed unfettered as it should. You do not deserve to remain as our premier. We deserve much better,” Mr. McLaughlin said.

On Tuesday morning, the premier’s Press Secretary Charles Glidden said Mr. Bush was aware of what was said at Monday evening’s meeting but did not yet have a comment.

Mr. McLaughlin said, “I do not want your job as you indicate. Not now. The time for that will come when due process is followed and we get to the elections in May of 2013. That is not what this is about. None of us here want the premier’s job now. We just want our premier to be someone that we do not have to hang our heads in shame every time we refer to him. Stand aside McKeeva or the worst is yet to come.”

Mr. Miller said, “These difficulties, Mr. Bush, cannot be explained, and it will not be accepted by a tirade against other evil forces. This is not “Star Wars”.”

Official LA proceedings

On Monday afternoon, Cabinet Minister Rolston Anglin sent out a statement on behalf of government explaining the procedures planned for the official Legislative Assembly on Wednesday and Thursday.

“In summary we will debate Government Motion No. 8/2012 on Wednesday, 9 May as previously communicated to all Members of the Legislative Assembly. At the end of the debate on Wednesday, 9 May the Honourable Premier will write to the Honourable Speaker and request a Special Meeting pursuant to Standing Order Number 9. It is our intention to hold the Special Meeting on 10 May,” he said.

Mr. Glidden clarified that Wednesday’s Government Motion No. 8 would declare single-member districts and one person, one vote, to be “a matter of national importance”. On Thursday, the members would consider the actual bill to hold the referendum.

“Before bringing a bill for a law to make provision for the holding of a referendum a motion must be passed to declare the issue a matter of national importance,” he said.

Opposition MLA Kurt Tibbetts said Monday it makes no difference whether the Opposition or independent members participate in Wednesday’s meeting, even though the referendum is supported by the Opposition and Mr. Miller, and opposed by the premier. Supporters of the referendum say that the premier is “stacking the deck” against its success by requiring that a majority of registered voters approve it (rather than a majority who actually vote), by the wording of the referendum question, and by holding the election in July, when many people are off island.

“There is nothing that we can do. As it is worded now and as it is going to be executed, it’s a hijacked affair. Our participation is not going to change the numbers. They are going to put it through like it is. There is absolutely no sense in us doing it like that because it will not change,” Mr. Tibbetts said.

Different agendas

Mr. Anglin said that when the premier informed the Opposition and Mr. Miller of their intentions during Monday’s meeting of the Business Committee, they chose to leave the committee meeting.

“The Honourable Premier and the government continue to operate in an open and transparent manner. Despite this, the Opposition still found room to complain and walked out of the Business Committee abruptly and went straight to the media with their one-sided version of events,” he said.

Mr. Anglin said, “We cannot believe how immature the Leader of the Opposition and his colleagues behave! When we go to extraordinary lengths to share our legislative strategy with them they still try to cause strife and division in our country.”

Speaking after Mr. McLaughlin Monday evening, Mr. Miller said, “On Wednesday, take the day off. Come down to the Legislative Assembly Building. We are going to be having a meeting on the sidewalk about the no-confidence motion, and we have [parliamentary] privilege while LA’s going on, so you’d better conclude the business inside if you don’t want Alden saying other things on that paper he wouldn’t say tonight because we know some more stuff, you know.”