Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly is not seeking re-election in her Cayman Brac East seat in next year’s general election, following a turbulent few weeks that she described as a “political tsunami”.
Speaking on Radio Cayman on Friday morning, the premier confirmed that she would not be running for office in the national vote on 30 April 2025, but in the meantime “somebody still has to run the country”.
O’Connor-Connolly came out strongly in defence of both her premiership and the governorship of Jane Owen after the deputy premier and three ministers quit government at the end of last month, citing “dysfunction and disorganisation, and a lack of professionalism”.
“I will not sit here and have aspirations cast on her excellency the governor or myself as leader, unless persons can come and bring the evidence,” she said.
“The government agenda will be concentrated on everything and anything that will keep the stability of this country [or] persons, whether they like me or not,” she said. “They can see my political history, and I don’t get myself involved with things that are not in compliance of good governance or breach of any laws. I’m a lawmaker, not a lawbreaker.”
She added, “Any implications whatsoever that something went awry in Cabinet or that the governor didn’t control it … is being most economical with the truth, is the best way that I can put it.”
Saying that she had hoped “not to get into this”, the premier then gave a detailed account of friction within government, which came to a head during the final caucus meeting before the resignation of the four MPs.
When discussing the draft amendments to the National Conservation Law, according to O’Connor-Connolly, the Deputy Premier André Ebanks said he could not support it – a move described by her as “a shocker”. Sabrina Turner, then health minister, also said she could not support it.
“There are reasons why the Constitution has certain provisions,” O’Connor-Connolly said. “You cannot run a government in a chaotic manner where you don’t have collective responsibility, and there are other options. And they opted to go and leave. I had no idea that that was going to happen.”
‘The shock of surprisation’
When she later learned that the group had tendered their resignation to the governor, she said she was “particularly surprised” at her former deputy, “who, before I went to Samoa, had visited me … saying that different offerings had come from different [political] groupings … and that he had decided that he would not align himself to either the two groupings. Since I was no longer planning to run, he was going to stay with that grouping … and what did I think about his qualities of him being premier?
“And I expressed my honest feelings that, yes, I am leaving, and you stand just as good a chance as any of the other ministers and being the deputy premier would give you an advantage. So you can only imagine the shock of surprisation – as Caymanians say – that he no longer wanted to be there.”
“I’m going to wish the departed colleagues the very best as they continue to campaign and exercise their discretion to serve the country,” she continued. “Obviously I would have been happy if they stayed on at least until nomination day to take the country through, but again, that is their democratic prerogative. I salute them for taking whatever decision they made, but I would ask them in the pursuit of excellence and victory at the polls, do not put the Cayman Islands on the sacrifice altar. We will live to regret it.”
Demanding portfolio
As well as being premier, O’Connor-Connolly is also minister for finance and economic development, education, district administration and lands, financial services and commerce, health, and Cabinet Office.
When asked how she would manage such a demanding portfolio, the premier said, “It was not something that I asked or desired for three ministers and one PS to exercise their democratic rights, but the country will actually save three ministers’ salaries. So there’s always a half-cup mentality or half-empty mentality. I choose the one that’s half-full mentality.”
She added, “For me, I recognised that I had to say ‘yes’ when I was asked to take some of the responsibilities, because, as I said before, I’m not running, but my ministers want to run.”
During the interview, O’Connor-Connolly announced that civil servants are in line for another $2,000 bonus, following the same payout last year. The ex gratia payment is in addition to the 5% cost of living adjustment, known as COLA, which will be effective from 1 Jan. 2025, and will cost government $9.7 million in total.
The premier said that the cost would come out of the existing government budget, so that no additional funding would be required, adding, “We hope that this honorarium will bring some Christmas cheer to our hard-working public servants who just this week demonstrated their diligence and professionalism and helping the islands prepare for the hurricane, Rafael.”
Governor encourages voter registration
Sitting alongside the premier during the interview was Governor Jane Owen who said, “We do have a very clear ministerial code of conduct, so certainly, if there are any specific allegations or concerns about the way things have been done under that code of conduct in Cabinet, I would certainly want to look at that,” adding, “It is, of course, really essential that everybody has confidence in the way in which our caucus and Cabinet is working.”
She also encouraged people to register to vote ahead of the upcoming election, noting that many Caymanians, particularly young people, are not yet on the electoral roll.
“It is really important that everyone has their say in who we are electing,” she said, “and I would encourage everyone to get involved.”
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