Leader of the Opposition McKeeva Bush accused the People’s Progressive Movement of using scare tactics to try to push its constitution modernisation proposals forward quickly.
Mr. Bush was responding to suggestions by the PPM government that unless a constitution is negotiated soon, the United Kingdom might impose a constitution on the Cayman Islands.
‘That is the most ludicrous statement I’ve ever heard,’ Mr. Bush said. ‘To think in this new world order that [the UK] is going to give us a new constitution is nonsense.’
During last week’s Constitutional Review Secretariat meeting, PPM Cabinet Minister Alden McLaughlin said it was important for the Cayman Islands to negotiate a Bill of Rights with the United Kingdom ‘to prevent the UK from extending laws that could create situations like the Bishop of Hereford.’
That case in the United Kingdom dealt with a bishop who was substantially fined and ordered to attend equal opportunity training because he refused to hire a homosexual man for a youth worker position with the church.
‘What Alden is trying to do now is scaremongering,’ Mr. Bush said. ‘They’re trying to scare people out of their wits about what the UK is going to push on us.’
Mr. Bush asked why there was suddenly such an urgency to enter into constitution negotiations with the United Kingdom.
‘[Leader of Government Business Kurt Tibbetts] said earlier this year this would take as long as it takes. He said it himself. So what’s the big rush now?’
Mr. Bush and the Opposition party have asked the PPM government to delay the referendum on the constitution issue scheduled for next month.
The PPM has said in the past that if the general public consensus is that the referendum should be delayed, then it would be delayed. So far, however, only the Opposition and some of the attendees of the Constitutional Review Secretariat meetings have publicly called for a postponement of next month’s referendum.
During her visit here in December, Foreign and Commonwealth Office Parliamentary Under-secretary of State Meg Munn indicated the UK was unlikely to impose a constitution on the Cayman Islands.
‘I don’t think there is much point in seeking to impose a constitution on the people of Cayman,’ she said at the time. ‘That’s not the kind of relationship we want for the Overseas Territories.’
Although Mrs. Munn gave no set timeframe for getting a new constitution in place, she did make it clear she wanted to see the constitution matter concluded.
‘I would be very unhappy for the constitution issue continuing to drift,’ she said. ‘However, I’ve seen nothing in Cayman’s character that suggests we couldn’t get to a solution sooner or later.’
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