Cayman’s beleaguered coalition government can struggle on to the next general election after the opposition agreed not to stand in the way of a minority government running the territory on a short-term basis.
Progressives leader Joey Hew made it clear, in a statement Monday afternoon, that the party is not forming a coalition or partnership of any kind with Juliana O’Connor-Connolly’s diminished coalition of independents.
Hew’s statement effectively brings to an end a period of uncertainty, allowing government to continue to function, and puts the ball in the court of Governor Jane Owen, who has responsibility for setting an election date in consultation with the premier.
Hew said the opposition would not block the minority government from calling sessions of Parliament or passing essential legislation.
But he added, “We will not agree to move forward on any contentious issues.”
Hew insisted the situation, with the premier and her coalition numbering seven out of 19 total MPs, was unsustainable in the long term and has called for elections “at the earliest possible date”.
He cited concerns from the governor, shared by the Progressives, that new voters would be disenfranchised by a snap election.
That suggests the likeliest date for a national poll would be April – giving a small window this year for new voters to register on the electoral roll and cast a vote at the general election.
“In the interest of stability, until the next general elections are held, the business of government must continue,” Hew said.
O’Connor-Connolly has not commented on the situation beyond a statement Friday saying Cabinet was continuing as normal.
The approach of a hurricane this week diverted attention from the political chaos with most MPs focusing on readying their constituents for severe weather on Tuesday.
But while a well-oiled machine of civil servants and emergency services personnel clicks swiftly into gear during a storm, there remained three Cabinet posts empty as Rafael approached Monday.
Crucially, Home Affairs, previously handled by Sabrina Turner, which covers the police and ambulance services, and the Ministry of Sustainability, preciously led by Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, which has responsibility for the environment, were without clear political leadership Monday.
‘The PPM has not joined the government’
In the absence of any comment from O’Connor-Connolly or anyone from government Monday, Hew’s address provides the clearest signal of the road ahead.
His announcement suggests a minority UPM government will be able to soldier on to a likely spring election. A new deputy premier and several Cabinet positions will need to be filled from the group of seven in the interim.
Hew said he had spoken to both André Ebanks, the de-facto leader of the group of four MPs who resigned from government last week, and O’Connor-Connolly, who remains premier, before making his announcement.
He said, “I want to make it clear that the PPM has not joined the government or any other grouping inside or outside of Parliament.
“We remain fully committed to our role as the Official Opposition, focusing on holding the government accountable and advocating for the Caymanian people.
“We do not believe that the current minority government, made up of only 7 of the 19 elected members of Parliament, is sustainable for more than the very short term.
“I have had the opportunity to speak to Her Excellency Governor Owen, who has confirmed that she is considering the earliest possible date for the next general elections.
“However, she is concerned, as indeed we are, that the date set will not disenfranchise newly registered voters that are not yet on the official voters’ register.”
Emphasising that the Progressives would not support any contentious legislation, Hew said there were necessary financial services bills and other uncontroversial matters that would require Parliament to meet.
“We will not hinder the government from bringing important business to Parliament until the Governor determines the timeframe for the general elections,” Hew said.
“This approach will provide the confidence the Caymanian people and the international business community need and will assist in a fair elections process. It will also allow our people to consider all options for Cayman’s best path forward.”
Hew said the recent resignations have “left a void in our country’s leadership, shaking the confidence of our people, the business sector, and our standing in the international community.”
He said the opposition’s actions were intended to ensure stability through this time.
Breakaway group highlights concerns over Cabinet conflict
Meanwhile, new details continue to emerge of the conflict within Cabinet that led to the resignations of four MPs from the government group last week.
In co-ordinated social media posts Friday and Monday, former Deputy Premier André Ebanks, former Sustainability and Climate Resiliency Minister Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, former Health Minister Sabrina Turner and former Parliamentary Secretary Heather Bodden cited a slew of contentious Cabinet decisions as cause for concern.
As well as the escalating costs of a new high school on Cayman Brac, proposed amendments to the National Conservation Act and lack of transparency over the ReGen project, the group has indicated concerns about the manner in which key decisions were being reached, with some left out of the loop.
Monday’s identical Facebook posts from all four MPs read, “We resigned as Ministers because we could not be effective within Cabinet. When it came to matters of right and wrong, we constantly found ourselves in the minority.
“As Cabinet Ministers bound by the rules of collective responsibility, once a decision was made, BY LAW we would not be allowed to criticise or say we “did not support” a Cabinet decision regardless of our vote or personal beliefs.
“Cabinet was pushing through bad decisions that we could not support and did not want to be associated with.
“Enough is enough.”
Collective ministerial responsibility is a constitutional convention in the Westminster system that requires Cabinet members to publicly support government decisions even if they privately disagree with them.
That includes voting for legislation in Parliament.
Former Deputy Premier Ebanks and his fellow MPs, who will sit on the opposition benches in the next session of Parliament, are now looking to form a new political group that can contest the next general election.
Related Videos
It seems that some Members’ opinions carry a lot more weight than others.
PPM you did the right thing. If you joined the disfunct UPM government, there is now way on earth you would have had a chance at the next general elections. This is how bad politics is in the Cayman Islands. Most want the UK government to step in.