A campaign group set up to promote cruise ship piers for Cayman appealed to politicians on Friday to stick to a plan to hold a referendum on the controversial proposal.
The Association for Cruise Tourism (ACT) said the public should not be blocked from signalling their views on the issue.
Ellio Solomon, ACT’s executive programme manager, added, “Denying our people their democratic right to vote on an issue as critical as cruise berthing infrastructure is not only unjust, it’s a direct affront to the principles of fairness and transparency that underpin our society.”
ACT fired off a New Year broadside after another campaign group said at the end of last year that a poll on the proposal in April was inappropriate.
CPR Cayman, which said it still supported a referendum, said there was no rush to revisit the cruise ship piers proposal.
It added a bill on a referendum, tabled just before Christmas, did not include enough detail, such as the location of the piers.
The non-binding bill, expected to be debated in the next session of Parliament, also includes separate questions on the decriminalisation of possession and use of small amounts of marijuana and a national lottery.
The present minority administration was backed by opposition MPs on the condition that no contentious bills were brought forward.
Kenneth Bryan, the deputy premier and tourism minister, has insisted the bill was only a test of public opinion and could not be considered contentious.
With the government left with just seven members after four defections last year, it would need the support of at least three other MPs to push the bill through.
The Progressives and André Ebanks’s four-strong group of rebel MPs have signalled they would not support the tabling of contentious legislation.
They were speaking about a variety of bills, including the one that includes a question on cruise ship piers.
The ruling United People’s Movement would be unable to muster the muscle to force the bill through without support from the other side of the aisle.
Solomon said the debate was “not just about infrastructure” but also the future of the tourism industry and “ensuring all Caymanians benefit”.
He added, “Now is the time to unite, act decisively and make informed choices that secure Cayman’s prosperity for generations to come.
“Give the people a voice and a choice – it’s the least a thriving democracy like ours can do.”
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Coral Beach is closing due to beach erosion. Royal Palms is already closed. The West Bay public beach is overcrowded. And should be reserved for local residents only with no businesses allowed.
Where are these cruise boat people going to go?
Best to forget them entirely and focus on a high quality stayover tourism product.