House Speaker McKeeva Bush presided over the ceremonial renaming of the Cayman Islands Parliament on Friday, 4 Dec., one day after his defence team entered guilty pleas on three charges relating to an incident at a bar in February.
In his opening address, Bush addressed demonstrations, some of which were aimed at his return to Parliament.
“They say demonstrate against the government, demonstrate against the courts, demonstrate against the LGBT, demonstrate against the school and teachers, and might be demonstrate against the Speaker, too, and yet it is plain as the nose on your face… this coalition government has done the best that they could,” he said.
Bush, who conducted his official duty at the ceremony and delivered his customary address as speaker, told the Compass he cannot say anything about the matter before the court.
Bush, a Member of Parliament for West Bay West, faced four charges stemming from the bar incident, in which he is alleged to have physically assaulted a female staff member at a West Bay Road bar.
On Thursday, Bush’s defence team entered guilty pleas for two charges of assault and one of disorderly conduct.
On the first count, the most serious of the three assault charges, attorney Michael Alberga told Magistrate Kirsty-Ann Gunn, “our position remains the same, not guilty.”
Sentencing for the three counts to which Bush pleaded guilty will need to wait until the matter involving count one is finished.
Bush was released on bail and returns to court in January.
At the ceremony, which was held at the former Legislative Assembly building, Bush greeted deputy Police Commissioner Anthony Ennis, Chief Justice Anthony Smellie, Governor Martyn Roper and Premier Alden McLaughlin following salutes from the Guard of Honor, which comprised of Cayman Island Reservists and police officers.
In his speech, Bush lamented that there are many who complain on local airwaves and social media, yet offer no solutions.
“It is not beneficial to anyone,” he said, adding those who complain the loudest are prepared to act irresponsibly if they cannot get their way.
“If that is the kind of Cayman, where the church is being torn apart at times, and where government is derided at all levels, not just the politicians, the civil servants too, if that is the future of then only God could save us. There are no solutions.
“Those listening must ask the question have those people done anything to help anyone?” he said.
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