The Premier has announced that the
anticipated November 2010 referendum on gambling has been delayed until the
first quarter of 2011.
IF we can afford to hold a
referendum at this time, then perhaps it is time that as a country we settle
this question once and for all by giving our people the right to vote for or
against legalizing gambling in the Cayman Islands.
During the 2005 – 2009
administration, of which I was a part, we had plans to hold a referendum in midterm
to give our people the opportunity to vote for or against the new draft Cayman
Islands Constitution. We asked the Elections Office, as the agency that would
conduct the referendum, for an estimate on the cost of holding such a poll. At
that time we were advised that it would cost CI$500,000 – CI$600,000 to conduct
as it had to be organised and executed along similar lines as general
elections. As it turned out, the referendum on the constitution was held during
the general elections and so the cost was probably significantly less due
simply to the timing of the referendum.
But the point is that a referendum
is not an inexpensive exercise and if we are going to have one on gambling then
there are several other topical issues and questions of national importance
that ought to be tested during the upcoming referendum.
It is obvious that there has been
widespread discontentment in Cayman for the past year and most people are very
angry as a result of the UDP Government’s flawed economic and immigration policies.
The constant increases in taxes since 2009 are causing some businesses to close
and many jobs are being made redundant. The effect of this is less money
circulating in our economy thereby exacerbating the impact of the global
economic recession on our local economy. To make matters worse, Caymanians are
being marginalized in our own country due to fundamentally flawed immigration
policies. Collectively these issues are very clearly a recipe for social
disharmony and civil disorder, which we must make every effort to avoid for
obvious reasons. The people are looking for a voice and solutions in the midst
of these difficult times and in the absence of our elected leaders providing
that voice and the required solutions for our people let us give our people an
opportunity through this referendum to speak for themselves.
Additionally, the critically
important draft National Conservation Law has been in various stages of draft
form for well over eight years and has not been passed by the Legislative
Assembly because of organised special interests objections to it. It is time to
settle this matter once and for all by giving our people the choice in this
upcoming referendum.
The issue of the proposed East End
port is a national issue and while it will directly impact the people of East End, it also has significant implications for the
entire country and ought to be considered and decided by the people. The
proposed East End port completely disregards
the Go East Policy document that was approved by the Cabinet of which I was a
part and which I tabled in the Legislative Assembly along with the current
Tourism Management Policy. The Go East Policy has at its core sustainable tourism
development for the eastern districts. This policy document was developed after
extensive consultations through district forums, which I hosted for the people
of Bodden Town,
East End and North Side. During those
consultations the people of the eastern districts made it abundantly clear that
they did not want their districts to become industrialised but instead
expressed a desire to focus on their environment, culture and heritage, cottage
style tourism development and they requested, as an example, that in the future
hotels and condos not exceed three floors in height.
Likewise the issue of dredging a deep
water channel in the North Sound will not only impact the North Sound tour operators
but given the significant implications for some of our prime tourism
attractions in the North Sound, it has the potential to negatively impact the
wider tourism industry.
I am well aware that as a people we
have the ability to initiate a referendum under Section 70 of our new 2009
Cayman Islands Constitution but here is an opportunity for the Government to
save some money by including these other questions of national importance in
the upcoming referendum and avoid the probability of having to hold two
referendums and doubling the costs.
If the UDP Government is confident
that their policies are right for the country and that they enjoy the
confidence of the people they ought to have no concerns about asking the following
additional questions on the upcoming referendum on gambling and I publicly call
on them to do so:
1. Do you have confidence in the
UDP Government’s ability to effectively manage the affairs of our country
during what are the most challenging economic times since the 1930s ? – Yes / No
2. Do you have confidence in
Premier McKeeva Bush’s ability to lead the government and country during these
difficult and complex times ? – Yes / No
3. Do you support moving our
general elections cycle back to the month of November with the next general elections
being held in November 2012 ? – Yes / No
4. Do you support moving our
general elections cycle back to the month of November with the next general elections
being held in November 2013 ? – Yes / No?
5. Should the government debate and
approve in the Legislative Assembly the draft National Conservation Law as a
matter of urgency ? – Yes / No
6. Do you support relocating the
cargo port to East End and the related development
as proposed ? – Yes / No
7. Do you support dredging a deep
water channel in the North Sound to accommodate mega yachts ? – Yes / No
These are seven simple questions
that require a yes or no answer and this approach would settle these matters
once and for all . The results of the referendum would determine in true
democratic fashion the way forward during these difficult times.
I encourage everyone to apply
pressure on our government by calling in to the talk shows, writing letters to
the newspapers, posting on blogs and through any other lawful means that are
available to ensure that these additional questions appear on the upcoming
referendum.
Charles E. Clifford
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