The National Coalition For Caymanians administration plans to review legislation governing politicians’ election campaign financing, Premier André Ebanks has told lawmakers.
Ebanks was responding to a question by Deputy Leader of the Opposition Kenneth Bryan at Friday’s parliamentary session on whether government intends to implement any of the recommendations in the 2025 Domestic Observer Mission Final Report following this year’s election.
Reports by both domestic and the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association international observers who monitored the April general election highlighted issues with campaign financing.
Ebanks said his government was committed to election reform and had already received a presentation from Attorney General Samuel Bulgin, Deputy Governor Franz Manderson and Supervisor of Elections Wesley Howell, which summarised the findings of both reports from the election observers, as well as other administrative and legal recommendations for amendments to the Elections Act.
He told legislators that a number of recommendations in that presentation had received “in principle” support from caucus.
Among the changes under consideration, the premier said, was campaign finance reform, including measures “to extend spending, oversight and improved transparency”; and the potential increase of campaign spending limits “to reflect modern cost and parity among candidates.”
The current spending cap is $40,000 per candidate during the official eight-week campaign period, which runs from Nomination Day to Election Day. Any donations of more than $10,000 are required to be reported.
The domestic observers noted in their report that a “loophole” in the existing law meant the spending limit for candidates did not include any pre-contracted arrangements made before Nomination Day.
Their report recommended that the Elections Act be revised to address such loopholes in campaign spending limits. “We recommend that consideration be given to extending spending limits to include the pre-nomination period, as well as requiring full disclosure of any campaign-related expenditures incurred before nomination,” the report stated.
It also called for clearer rules and the establishment of reporting requirements for third-party spending, in-kind contributions and coordinated campaign efforts among affiliated candidates or parties.
The international observers’ report echoed this, noting, “The Cayman Islands’ campaign finance laws lack transparency, accountability and oversight, comprehensive regulation and enforcement, particularly outside the official campaign period and in referendum contexts. To promote transparency, ensure equity among candidates, and align with international best practices, legal reforms are needed.”
Ebanks told parliamentary colleagues Friday that the other recommendations that had been accepted in principle by his government’s caucus, was enhanced transparency in political advertising, especially in relation to online and social media campaigns.
He added that his government had requested that the Elections Office’s Howell develop a proposal paper on specific recommendations for amendments to the law, so Cabinet can prepare to approve drafting instruction for legislative amendments.
The premier said he hoped the draft legislation could be brought before Parliament “as soon as feasible in 2026”.
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