A total of 50 people have, so far, applied to be domestic election observers for the 14 April general elections, Governor Martyn Roper has confirmed.
Roper told the Cayman Compass, in a brief comment Tuesday, that his office had been met with an “overwhelming response to our request for Domestic Observers”.
The deadline for applications is today.
The domestic observers are being sought for the local polls as international observers will not be able to oversee the general elections due to the extended quarantine periods both here in Cayman and in the UK.
In the past, Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK (CPA-UK) International Election Observer Missions have been on the ground in Cayman to observe and report on the running of the general election.
Roper, speaking with the Compass last week said, “We have an excellent reputation in Cayman for holding free and fair elections, but it is difficult this year to have international observers because of COVID-19. We can’t bring people in because they have to quarantine for two weeks and understandably, the observers are somewhat reluctant to do that.”
However, he said the recruitment of on-island observers is “a real opportunity for people to make a contribution to our islands”.
He said the domestic observer mission will consist of nine members: five selected by the Governor, two by the Premier and two by the Leader of the Opposition.
“We will offer virtual training, probably through Commonwealth Parliamentary Association in the UK, and some NGOs that they’re linked up with in the UK and opportunities to provide the public with a bit of additional reassurance that on the day we will be holding very credible and very fair elections,” Roper said.
The governor said there is no restriction on who can apply to be an observer.
“It won’t be paid,” he said, adding, “We’re looking for people to sort of offer their time freely and voluntarily, which is something that we do in the islands. It is open to anybody. Anyone who is resident on the Island… registered voters and people who aren’t registered voters, permanent residents. If people out there feel they’ve got the skills and the capacities and can make a contribution, then I encourage everyone to put an application in,” he said.
Roper also addressed any concerns over the selection process for the observers and the possibility of candidate agents ending up in the mix.
“Obviously in a small jurisdiction, I recognize that everybody knows everybody. So people will have some concerns about that and we will do our best to have a rigorous process,” he said.
Roper said he will appoint five observers and will ensure he takes advice from “relevant people… the Election Supervisor, Civil Service in doing that.”
“But it is up to the premier and the honourable Leader of the Opposition to appoint the people that they want to put forward for those roles,” he added.
Interested applicants can submit a CV and a one-page cover letter describing their skills and experience to [email protected].
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