West Bay alliance trio take to stage

Captain Eugene Ebanks, the incumbent candidate for West Bay Central, speaks at a joint campaign meeting with McKeeva Bush and Rolston Anglin on Monday night. - Photo: Norma Connolly

Just hours after nominations for the 2021 general election closed, three of the West Bay candidates were on a stage outlining their plans and manifestos.

The trio – McKeeva Bush, Captain Eugene Ebanks and Rolston Anglin – took to the stage amid bright lights, pumping music and the loud cheers of the crowd that had gathered at the West Bay Dock.

Each detailed the various issues they intended to cover if elected, or re-elected, and took jabs at their respective opponents – Mario Ebanks, Katherine Ebanks-Wilks and Bernie Bush.

McKeeva Bush speaks at Monday night’s meeting, as his fellow West Bay candidates Captain Eugene Ebanks and Rolston Anglin look on.

Introduced individually by Richard Parchment, with the mantra ‘People First’, the three politicians, all formerly members of the Cayman Democratic Party, outlined their past achievements as members of government and district representatives, before making their election pledges.

These covered a diverse number of issues, including housing, protecting Barkers, upskilling tourism workers, vocational and technical training, rehabilitating prisoners, boating safety, as well as a vow by Bush to keep Cayman free of income tax.

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Bush’s only reference at the meeting to his conviction and suspended sentence last year for assaulting a woman, was the former Speaker of the House stating that people in glass houses should not throw stones, in response to comments made earlier by Mario Ebanks about Bush’s behaviour. Bush has made similar comments about Opposition MPs who had been trying to oust him as Speaker before Parliament was dissolved.

Rolston Anglin, candidate for West Bay North, speaks on the stage of the West Bay Dock at his joint campaign meeting with Bush and Ebanks.

The meeting ended quieter than it started, when the generator powering the microphones and stage lights failed, leaving the stage in darkness and Bush without a working microphone. He ended his speech shouting from the stage, so those gathered by the roadside could hear him, before stating that other meetings would be held in the run-up to the election.