Although slightly more than half of the 915 respondents to last week’s cayCompass.com online poll think Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush should at least give up his duties as premier until three police investigations involving him are completed, nearly 45 per cent of the respondents believe he should stay right where he is while the investigations are ongoing.
The largest single segment of respondents – 408 people or 44.6 per cent – said Mr. Bush should remain premier until the investigations are completed.
“I’m tired of all these expensive UK-instigated investigations that lead nowhere,” said one person. “Either charge him or clear him. Otherwise this all seems like some sort of de-stabilising plot.”
“The reason I support this is that anyone can make a claim against another,” said someone else. “In the USA, presidents never stood down until options were exhausted.”
“Innocent until proven guilty, even if he is guilty as sin,” said another respondent. “If there is no proof, then let him stay,” commented one person.
“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, otherwise trumped-up complaints could be used to remove someone who opponents want to get rid of,” said someone else.
“I feel he should remain where he is until at least a charge is officially brought against him,” said another person.
“Unless he’s charged, I see no reason he should resign, especially with the police record of fruitless investigations recently,” commented one respondent.
A total of 466 people – 51 per cent – thought Mr. Bush should resign at least part of his duties because of the three police investigations, however, the largest segment of those people – 260 respondents, or 28.4 per cent of the total – thought he should step down as premier, but remain a Member of the Legislative Assembly until the investigations are completed.
“Mr. Bush cannot remain as premier under the circumstances,” said one person. “Step down and return if you are cleared.”
“He should just go now and keep some dignity,” said someone else. “There’s too much muck for his hands to be clean. He’s the only one who can’t see that he’s running out of rope and will hang himself soon.”
Another 206 people, 22.5 per cent, thought Mr. Bush should immediately resign as premier and a Member of the Legislative Assembly.
“The game is up,” said one person. “Enough is enough.”
“The Cayman Bush has become as much an embarrassment as the US version was,” said someone else.
Twenty-six people, 2.9 per cent, responded “I don’t know” to the question and 15 people – 1.6 per cent – responded “other”.
“Step up, answer the questions and clear his name – if he can,” suggested one person.
“Why don’t we stop this childish crap and get on with running the country,” said someone else.
“If he actually did something wrong, he should step down,” said another respondent. “If he doesn’t and is found guilty, the penalty should be much more severe then what the average citizen would get.”
“Continue to do what he has always done in these situations in the past – deny knowledge of things, blame criticism as politically motivated opportunism, deflect attention by offering up fantastic conspiracy theories against him, and characterise censure of him as bad for the country. In essence, continue to be the consummate politician that has made him premier,” said someone else.
“Why should he step down if he hasn’t been interviewed and hasn’t been charged?” asked one person.
“Morally, he should stand down as premier,” said another person. “This has to be his own decision though, otherwise anyone in power could be forced to step down with frivolous allegations made.”
One respondent had a different solution: “Kick the British out of the island.”
Next week’s poll question
What is your opinion of the Dart Group in the Cayman Islands?
I think they are great for Cayman.
I think they’re good for Cayman.
I think they’re bad for Cayman.
I think they’re terrible for Cayman.
I don’t know.
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Step aside is the only course of action. It has nothing to do with guilt. It has to do with whats right and expected.
As for the 45% who think he should do nothing, start thinking with your heads and not your political hearts.
Cayman is no differnet than the rest of the world and if any political figure were charged in any other paret of the world, those accused would step down until the case is closed.