ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 CAYMAN SEEKS VETO POWER OVER FUTURE GOVERNOR APPOINTMENTS JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Incoming governor Martyn Roper could be the last head of state in the Cayman Islands to be unilaterally appointed by the U.K., if the is- lands’ government gets its way. Premier Alden McLaughlin’s government is in ongoing talks with U.K. officials over con- stitutional reform aimed at affording Cayman greater independence while remaining part of the United Kingdom. In a written submission to a U.K. parlia- ment Foreign Affairs Select Committee last week, the government made a number of rec- ommendations, including that the Cayman Is- lands be granted power of veto over the U.K.’s choices of governor. The submission, which outlines some of the Cayman Islands government’s wishes for its future relationship with the U.K., sug- gests the appointment process for future governors should mirror that of state gov- ernors in Australia, who are directly ap- pointed by the Crown, rather than through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It adds that the “appointment of the Governor be subject to the veto of Government of the Cayman Islands.” The 17-page statement argues that the Cayman Islands, through its 2009 constitu- tion, has developed more autonomy from the U.K. It adds, “The role of the Governor within the Cayman Islands has also not sufficiently evolved to match our democratic maturity, and we are still too far removed from both the appointment process and from the FCO/ Governor relationship to establish whether or not domestic and external areas for which the FCO is responsible are being looked after comprehensively enough to support all of our government requirements and obligations.” Both the Cayman Islands Government and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office were among those asked to make written submissions to the parliamentary sub-com- mittee, which is examining the future of the relationship between the U.K. and its over- seas territories. In its submission, Cayman’s government accuses the U.K. of an ad hoc approach to Boardwalk faces more delays A completion date for the $1.3 million South Sound boardwalk has still not been announced by government. Much of the half-mile boardwalk appears to be finished, but on Oct. 17 a truck severely damaged a section of the project. Officials said the responsible party has agreed to cover the costs of the damage and repairs have begun. The boardwalk project was first announced in June 2016. For more on this story, see page 5. JOLLY ROGER UNDER REPAIR IN DRY DOCK JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The pirate-themed Jolly Roger ship, which ran aground in George Town harbor earlier this month, is sitting high and dry at Scott’s Marine at The Barcadere Marina. When it will get back into the water is un- certain, the ship’s owner Roland Talanow ad- mitted. “Exact timing of relaunch at this time is difficult to say,” he said. He said it took several days to get the vessel out of the water after it ran aground near the Lobster Pot area on Oct. 9. The ship had also run aground a month earlier, on Sept. 10, near the same spot. In both instances, the ship’s mooring line broke and the ship came ashore in rough seas. No pilot, crew or passengers were on board either time, and no injuries were reported. This time, it took about 10 days to get the ship to dry dock. The ship will not be taking part in next month’s Pirates Week Festival. (See separate story on page 6.) “It had significant water ingress and was lying in an angle,” Mr. Talanow told the Cayman Compass. “Divers had to assess the situation and the safest and best way possible to salvage the vessel.” He added that a preliminary assessment by Department of Environment officers showed that no significant environmental damage had been done. According to Department of Environment Deputy Director Tim Austin, the DoE is final- izing its analysis of the situation following the Oct. 9 grounding. He said the DoE is still inves- tigating the Sept. 10 incident. Mr. Talanow said a full assessment of the necessary repairs to the ship can now be done as the vessel is in dry dock. He added he had planned to place the ship in dry dock for main- tenance and improvements next year, but that work would be done now and would take sev- eral weeks to complete. However, Mr. Talanow said he was very pleased to see the hull was in surprisingly Offshore company formations reach new high KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com The number of Cayman-reg- istered companies hit an all-time high last month, with 106,291 companies active on the registry as of Sept. 30. According to recently re- leased statistics from the Gen- eral Registry, the number of companies has grown steadily since the end of last year, from 99,327 at Dec. 31 to 103,759 at the end of June, to its current level as of the end of last month. The number of companies here exceeded 100,000 by March, the first time it has broken the six-figure level since the number of active companies reached a then-record 102,369 in Sep- tember 2016 – that was shortly before taking a dip when around 8,500 were struck off the registry. There have been about 1,400 new formations per month this year, which has the territory on path to set a record incorpo- rations rate. The territory saw 13,046 companies register here last year, which was roughly a 17 percent increase over 2016 and the most since at least 2007. Cayman is not the only off- shore jurisdiction to see an uptick in company forma- tions this year. Incorporations in the British Virgin Islands – the leading offshore jurisdic- tion for incorporations – hit a nearly three-year high in the first quarter of 2018, with 9,798 new companies forming there, according to recently released statistics from the BVI Financial Services Commission. The Q1 performance was the BVI’s best quarter for com- pany incorporations since the third quarter of 2015, The Jolly Roger is lifted onto dry dock at Scott’s Marine at the Barcadere Marina. PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) THE HATE U GIVE (PG13) 12:35 I 3:35 I 6:40 I 9:45 VENOM (PG13) 12:45 VIP I 4:25 I 7:10 I 10:00 NIGHT SCHOOL (PG13) 2:15 I 4:50 I 7:25 I 10:00 GOOSEBUMPS 2: HAUNTED HALLOWEEN (PG) 4:45 I 7:00 FIRST MAN (PG13) 1:20 I 3:25 VIP I 6:30 VIP I 9:45 A STAR IS BORN (R) 12:45 I 3:50 I 7:00 I 9:40 VIP BLOCKBUSTER RE-RELEASE: AVENGERS INFINITY WAR (PG13) 1:30 I 9:15 CORRECTION A caption on a photo that ran with a story titled “Beach clearing at Discovery Point” in Monday’s Cayman Com- pass should have stated that the equipment in the pho- tograph was in front of the neighboring Christopher Co- lumbus condos. PUERTO RICANS FIGHT FOR INSURANCE MONEY A YEAR AFTER MARIA DORADO, Puerto Rico (AP) – Thousands of Puerto Ricans have been forced to drain their savings, close their businesses, or resign them- selves to living with struc- tural damage as they fight insurance companies over millions of dollars’ worth of claims that have gone unan- swered or unpaid more than a year after Hurricane Maria. Experts say the Category 4 storm caught insurance companies off-guard and left them reeling financially after they were hit with nearly 279,000 claims, a number that one expert called “extraordi- nary.” One major insurer has already folded, leaving more than 1,500 claims worth a total of $70 million up in the air. Many worry other compa- nies might follow. “The industry has never faced such an astronom- ical number of claims,” said Iraelia Pernas, executive di- rector of Puerto Rico’s Asso- ciation of Insurance Compa- nies. “No one was prepared for that, not the federal gov- ernment, not the insurance companies, no one.” The Office of the Insurance Commissioner of Puerto Rico has already issued fines to- taling more than $2.4 million against at least seven compa- nies for delays in resolution and payment of claims. All companies in the U.S. territory had bought reinsurance, but it was insufficient for some. Commissioner Javier Ri- vera said it’s too early to say what will happen with Real Legacy, the company that folded. But he believes the other company that exceeded its reinsurance limits, Triple-S, has enough capital to avoid a similar fate. “There will definitely al- ways be a risk that some claims might not be ad- dressed,” he said. “But we will do everything that is pos- sible.” Michael Barry, with the New York-based nonprofit In- surance Information Insti- tute, said that exceeding re- insurance limits is highly unusual: “It tells me that was an extraordinary event that even in the companies’ worst case scenario, Hurricane Maria was difficult for them to envision.” Two insurance compa- nies in Puerto Rico are also under review with nega- tive implications, said Brian O’Larte, director of the prop- erty and casualty ratings di- vision for A.M. Best, an in- surance rating firm. Cayman’s National Weather Service releases mobile app Wondering what the weather is like in Cayman? You can now find out at the press of a button. The Cayman Islands Na- tional Weather Service an- nounced the release of a mo- bile app on Monday that can be found on the Google Play Store and the Apple Store. The app – called Cayman Is- lands Weather in the Apple Store – can be located by searching for Cayman weather or Cayman Islands National Weather Service. The new app was de- signed by National Weather Service technical engineer Kirk Douglas, who received help and consultation from the department’s team of me- teorological experts. The app can be used to obtain a five-day Cayman Islands forecast, as well as current weather condi- tions from the automated weather observing systems at the Owen Roberts Inter- national Airport. There is also a Sister Is- lands and Cayman Islands forecast radio stream in ad- dition to data such as live Doppler Radar animations, surface analysis, hurricane bulletins and marine charts. The Weather Service also announced that it will now be providing a weather forecast specifically for the Sister Is- lands that can only be found streaming on the Weather App or via the CINWS Facebook page. Indecent exposure charge adjourned Defendant changes attorneys CAROL WINKER cwinker@pinnaclemedialtd.com A man accused of inde- cent assault and indecent ex- posure last week remained in custody after his second appearance in Summary Curt on Tuesday. Leandro Solomon, 28, first appeared in court on Oct. 18, after he was named as the person in video footage cir- culated on social media. At- torney Kathleen Ryan, who represented him at the time, said he strongly de- nied the charges. She also told the court that she had viewed the video her- self and, in her opinion, the person’s identity could not be determined. The video has not been shown in court. The charges arose from an incident said to have occurred in the early hours of Oct. 15 in an area along South Church Street in George Town. Mr. Solomon was re- manded in custody and this week attorney Prathna Bodden indicated she was now representing the defen- dant. She asked Magistrate Adam Roberts to order an as- sessment of fitness to plead. She also indicated that she would be applying for bail in the Grand Court, since bail had been refused in the lower court. The magistrate set the matter for mention again on Thursday, Nov. 1. National Weather Service technical engineer Kirk Douglas designed the app. FIERCE HURRICANE WILLA CLOSES IN ON MEXICAN RESORT AREA MAZATLAN, Mexico (AP) – Hur- ricane Willa roared into a cluster of Mexican islands holding a prison colony and headed for a Tuesday after- noon collision with a stretch of the country’s Pacific coast, its 120 mph winds and high waves threatening high-rise resorts, surfing beaches and fishing villages. Willa briefly reached Cat- egory 5 strength on Monday, then weakened to a Category 3. But the U.S. National Hur- ricane Center warned that it was still likely to bring life- threatening storm surge, wind and rain to parts of western Mexico. The storm battered the Islas Marias, about 60 miles off the mainland, on Tuesday morning. It was expected to blow ashore in the evening south of Mazatlan, a tourist resort of about 500,000 people with many U.S. and Canadian expatriates. As Willa closed in, the beach in Mazatlan almost disappeared, with waves slamming against the coastal boulevard, black clouds looming overhead. A few surfers took ad- vantage of the high waves even as workers boarded up windows on hotels, shops and homes. Schools were closed and the streets nearly empty. The federal government issued a decree of “extraordi- nary emergency” for 19 mu- nicipalities in Nayarit and Sinaloa states. Officials said 7,000 to 8,000 people were being evac- uated from low-lying areas, mostly in Sinaloa state, where small towns sit amid farmland tucked between the sea and lagoons. There was no immediate word on conditions in the Islas Marias, a group of is- lands that include a nature preserve and a federal prison. Forecasters said Willa would blow ashore somewhere along a 140-mile stretch from Mazatlan to San Blas. Bob Swanson, who is from Saskatchewan, Canada, and spends two to six months of the year in his house in the Cerritos neighborhood near the shore in Mazatlan, said he filled his washing machine with water, filled his home fuel tank and gassed up his car in he needs to head into the mountains for safety. “I come from a country where we have hurri- canes and vicious storms, so I’m kind of waiting with bated breath,” he said over the phone while sit- ting on his porch and smoking a cigarette. Enrique Moreno, mayor of Escuinapa, a municipality of about 60,000 people along Willa’s potential track, said officials were trying to evac- uate everybody in the sea- side village of Teacapan. He estimated 3,000 were af- fected but he expected some would try to stay. “The people don’t want to evacuate, but it’s for their se- curity,” he said. At midday Tuesday, Willa was centered about 25 miles northwest of the Islas Ma- rias and 105 miles south of Mazatlan. It was moving north-northeast at 6 mph. Hurricane-force winds extended 40 miles from the storm’s center, and tropical storm-force winds were up to 125 miles out. The U.S. hurricane center warned that Willa could bring 6 to 12 inches of rain – with up to 18 inches in some places. Residents buy drinking water ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Willa Monday in Mazatlan, Mexico. – PHOTO: AP3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 SECURE YOUR PROPERTY WITH THE BEST DEALS IN SURVEILLANCE CAMERA SYSTEMS AVAILABLE ANYWHERE ON ISLAND. The Security Centre has three exceptional CCTV deals that just can’t be matched. 3 The Gold Standard: a complete digital, four camera IP system – 4 meg precision viewing at just $1799 The Security Centre guarantees that we will beat any price on a comparable system. Call the Security Centre for your demo today at 949-0004 or visit us online at security.ky 2 The Eagle Eye Special: a high-definition system perfect for the home and small businesses - $1549 All systems offer mobile device access - so you can check on your property remotely. bring an existing security camera system into high-definition – using existing cabling - at just $999 1 The Phoenix HD Upgrade: SCHOOL INSPECTIONS Layman Scott, Grace Christian Academy rated satisfactory MARK MUCKENFUSS mmuckenfuss@pinnaclemedialtd.com New inspection reports on Layman E. Scott High School and Grace Christian Academy show both schools operating at a satisfactory level. The Office of Education Standards posted the re- ports late Monday. Layman E. Scott inspection Inspectors said the perfor- mance and progress of stu- dents at Layman Scott school in Cayman Brac was satisfac- tory in major subjects, with an expectation of improvement. “In the current academic session, students’ progress had improved and was judged to be on track to be good in English and mathematics and satisfactory in science,” the report said. It also praised the school’s performance in making sure students were ready to move on. “The Year 12 curriculum was effective in preparing stu- dents for university studies or starting a career in the world of work,” it said. The Brac school’s cur- riculum, student support, behavior and attendance were all deemed to be good, along with students’ under- standing of civics and envi- ronmental issues. Inspectors were con- cerned about the security of the school because of a break in the fencing. The breach, they said, meant stu- dents could potentially leave the school and the public could gain access. It also faulted the school’s signing- in procedures as “not suffi- ciently robust.” School officials were asked to “work urgently with the Department of Educa- tion Services to access re- sources that will adequately secure the site.” Inspectors said the school has not yet fully adopted the new evaluation frame- work. As a result, they said, “the self-evaluation and im- provement planning pro- cesses were weak.” A parent survey found 71 percent were satisfied with the education being provided to their children at Layman Scott. Teachers responded to the same question with an approval rating of 94 percent, while 83 percent of students said they were satisfied. While inspectors said be- havior at the school was good, just 50 percent of students surveyed agreed, while 36 percent said they disagreed. And while 77 percent of par- ents felt students were well behaved, when asked about bullying, 34 percent said such instances were not ade- quately dealt with. Schools are on holiday this week and attempts to reach Adrian Jones, Layman Scott’s principal, were unsuccessful. Grace Christian Academy inspection The overall satisfac- tion rates at Grace Chris- tian Academy were similar. There, 77 percent of parents said they felt their child was being well educated. In a rare instance, staff at the school actually responded posi- tively at a lower rate, at 63 percent, while 54 percent of students agreed they were satisfied with the school’s overall performance. Inspectors found weak- nesses in the pre-kindergarten and kindergarten classes, but teaching in the elementary, middle and high schools was deemed “good.” Middle school student achievement was found to be weak in English, but was rated satisfactory or good in other major subjects for all students beyond kindergarten. Progress for those same stu- dents was good or satisfac- tory in all areas. Principal Bernice Scott said she was pleased with the report. “Overall, we were happy with it,” Ms. Scott said. She said it had been 10 years since the school had been evaluated. She’s hoping it can be done more frequently. “I think it’s a valuable tool,” she said. “I like the framework,” she added, referring to the new set of guidelines approved this summer. “However, I still feel it’s a bit subjective. The difference between American schools [the model Grace uses] and British schools needs to be taken into account.” She said she had to explain to inspectors how advanced placement courses work. The report recommended making improvements in teaching and the curriculum in early year classes and fur- ther developing the school’s “information and communi- cation technology curriculum and resources.” Ms. Scott said the school is in the process of constructing some new buildings. As a re- sult, she said, students tem- porarily do not have access to some classroom computers. That situation, she said, along with the other defi- ciencies noted in the report, is something the school is al- ready addressing. “We’ll still keep working to improve,” she said. “We’ll still keep working to impr ove.” BERNICE SCOTT, principal, Grace Christian Academy Police are investigating a reported arson at a bar in Prospect where a person poured gasoline behind the bar and set items alight. Officers received a report of the arson shortly after 1 a.m. Tuesday morning. Po- lice did not release the name of the bar. The fire was ex- tinguished by people at the scene, police said. Anyone with any information is asked to contact George Town CID at 949-4222. Arson attack at Prospect barThe islands’ most-trusted news source 4 – EDITORIAL – Opinion&Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited (a subsidiary of Pinnacle Media Ltd) Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHERS DAVID R. LEGGE AND VICKI L. LEGGE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF DAVID R. LEGGE EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will findtheirownway” “As the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once stated, the government has no money; it’s the people’s money. It is therefore imperative that we spend the public’s money as prudently as possible and ensure that the people of the Cayman Islands are receiving the greatest value for their money.” – Austin Harris, Cayman Islands MLA Well said, Mr. Harris. Well done, though? Well … let the readers decide. In return for their money, this is what the people of the Cayman Islands recently received: A four-day, taxpayer- funded trip to London for Mr. Harris and fellow MLA Bernie Bush to learn, of all things, how the Public Accounts Com- mittee might “strengthen its role to ensure government obtains best value for money in all expenditures.” Presumably “all expenditures” includes travel and accommodations for two to attend the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies 6th Annual Public Accounts Committees Symposium – featuring delegates from such far-off locales as Kenya, Ghana, the Solomon Islands, Australia, Tonga (and the Cayman Islands) – under the general theme of “Ensuring Government Expendi- tures are Effective, Economical and Efficient.” During their trip, we are informed via press release, Messrs. Harris and Bush met with leading practitioners in the public accounts field in order to “better understand how PAC members can work with stakeholders to make certain that public spending and delivery of services is both highly effective and efficient.” In the same statement, Mr. Harris was quoted as saying, “When the government pays for something, it actually means that the public is paying for it, and there- fore we have a duty to ensure accountability.” Truer words may never have been uttered on either side of the Atlantic. Yet, we wonder what on earth could have been said in London about stakeholders or public accounts committees that Messrs. Harris and Bush could not have learned by knocking on doors in their constituencies to speak to stake- holders here, or discussing with former PAC chair (and current House Speaker) McKeeva Bush in West Bay, or even going “all the way out” to North Side to visit current PAC chair Ezzard Miller. The whole circuit could be com- pleted on foot, by car or, if the seas cooperate, by catboat. No jumbo jets would need to be involved. (Then again, neither would frequent flyer miles, hotel rooms or obliga- tory cocktail receptions.) And although we have no evidence of this, at least in the press release, if the presentations at the sympo- sium really did contain hitherto unknown but absolutely essential information, then surely it could be obtained by an exchange of emails, Skype video conference or an old- fashioned phone call. It’s not that we are against Cayman’s elected offi- cials traveling overseas, or even traveling comfortably, it’s simply that such travel – like all government expendi- tures – should be made only when necessary. We recall when taking a trip to London was a milestone event in a person’s life; lately, we observe that our government offi- cials appear to give no further thought to intercontinental travel than they would to heading out to Stingray City. As Mr. Harris quoted from Prime Minister Thatcher, “the government has no money.” That goes double for Cayman: yes, in the sense that government’s money is taxpayer money, but also in the literal sense that – after accounting for debt servicing, long-term obligations to pay for public pensions and healthcare, and non-discre- tionary spending on civil servants’ salaries – our govern- ment has no money. When it comes to things such as capital projects, social assistance and facilities to serve vulnerable populations (the elderly, mentally ill, disabled, incarcerated, etc.), officials routinely cite the lack of funding for their lack of action. But how about for positional perks … such as official travel? MLAs Harris and Bush go to London WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Arizona voters can save their judiciary from politics WASHINGTON – This year’s election that most implicates fundamental issues of Amer- ican governance will not fill a legislative or executive office. And its importance is not pri- marily that it will either re- pudiate or reward dishonesty and cynicism in the service of factional grasping. Rather, Arizona’s judge-retention election will decide whether judges should be vulnerable to punishment if their punc- tilious application of a law annoys a self-aggrandizing interest group. Two years after justices are appointed by the gov- ernor to Arizona’s Supreme Court, they must be voted on in retention elections, and subsequently in such elec- tions every six years. This misbegotten procedure is an incentive for injudicious- ness – for judges to consider public opinion while making jurisprudential distinctions and decisions. To their credit, Arizonans have never exer- cised their power to remove a justice of the state’s Supreme Court. This year, however, voters are being exhorted by the Arizona Education Asso- ciation, the teachers union, and national allies to reject the two justices standing for retention. Their supposed trans- gression is that they stopped the union from benefiting from misleading voters with a meretricious wording of a ballot initiative. The wording might have been charitably ascribed to carelessness rather than guile, but it was suspiciously helpful to the union’s objective. Last spring, Arizona teachers went on strike, win- ning from the governor a 20 percent raise by 2020. Then, in an attempted end- run around the legislature, the AEA supported Proposition 207, to get voters to directly increase taxes for education spending. Targeting affluent Arizonans, the measure, if passed, would have raised $690 million annually, with 60 percent dedicated to teachers’ salaries. But the ballot lan- guage describing 207 was misleading about one matter and false about another. The initiative would have almost doubled Arizona’s top income-tax rate from 4.54 percent to 8 percent on incomes above $250,000 and 9 percent on those above $500,000. But the ballot de- scription falsely said this top rate would be raised “by 4.46 percent,” not the actual 4.46 percentage points, a sub- stantial difference. Also, since 2015 Ari- zona has had indexation of its tax brackets, so, for ex- ample, the bracket that used to cover incomes between $50,001 and $150,000 now applies to somewhat higher incomes. But the way Prop- osition 207 was written would have repealed index- ation and the adjustments it had made since 2015, effectively raising taxes on many people. For these reasons, the state’s Supreme Court struck 207 from this November’s ballot. As of this writing, the court’s opinion has not been published, but a leak indicates that the court ruled 5-2, with the two jus- tices, Clint Bolick and John Pelander, who are subject to a retention vote, in the majority. Both judges have stellar ratings from Arizo- na’s Commission on Judi- cial Performance Review. But the AEA, its carelessness and/or mendacity stymied, wants revenge and to send a message: Do not render decisions that anger a spe- cial interest with especially deep pockets. Now, judicial elections of all sorts are congruent with today’s populist temper – “Vox populi, vox Dei” and all that. They are, however, al- ways and everywhere, inher- ently inimical to judicial in- dependence from political pressures. They are perma- nent and perverse incentives for judges weighing jurispru- dential arguments to, as it were, glance over their shoul- ders at glowering and clam- orous factions, and to trim their juridical sails to ac- commodate prevailing po- litical winds. Arizonans who are voting – early voting began Oct. 10 – in the retention elec- tion should contemplate the recent spectacle involving the U.S. Supreme Court. The court has been sucked into the vortex of today’s bil- ious politics by a confirma- tion process that is not the court’s fault. But two days after Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a justice else- where, all nine justices made matters worse by allowing themselves to be props at a White House event – an end- zone dance masquerading as a civic liturgy – in which the president, with his knack for vulgarity and his eye on next month’s elections, is- sued a faux apology to Ka- vanaugh on behalf of no one in particular, but for the ob- vious purpose of making his base salivate for par- tisan score-settling. Might all the justices finally rec- ognize how inappropriate it is for them to attend the an- nual political pep rally that presidents of both parties have made of the State of the Union address? Arizonans can immunize their state’s judiciary from a downward stumble into pol- itics. They can reject the at- tempt to punish two fine judges, and to intimidate others, for patently polit- ical purposes. George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com. © 2018, Washington Post Writers Group GEORGE F. WILL To their credit, Arizonans have never exercised their power to remove a justice of the state’s Supreme Court.5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 www.silverthatch.org.ky Please join us for ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING on November 15th 2018 at the Marriott Grand Ballroom from 6pm onwards JEEP WINNER CLAIMS PRIZE The winner of a raffle for a fully upgraded Jeep Wran- gler, which raised $25,000 for the Breast Cancer Foun- dation this month, collected her new vehicle last week. Bernice Scott was an- nounced as the winner of the jeep at the charity’s an- nual gala on Oct. 6. The Jeep Wrangler, which was purchased by Tony Williams of Tony’s Toys, was completely up- graded by him and his staff. They also wrapped the vehicle in pink ribbon and put Breast Cancer Foundation decals and branding on it. Mr. Williams then do- nated the Jeep to the Breast Cancer Foundation, which, over six weeks, sold 1,000 $25 raffle tickets. “I was thrilled to win the Jeep,” said Ms. Scott in a press release. “It was such a delight after a long hard week at work.” She added, “More im- pressive though, was the real spirit of the event and the amazing gener- osity of the attendees. It really showed the Cay- mankind spirit.“ Kim Lund, co-founder of the Breast Cancer Founda- tion, said the one-of-a-kind Jeep was “a show stopper” at this year’s gala. “We cannot thank Tony and his staff enough for his donation. This Jeep was such a huge hit and we could have easily sold more than 1,000 raffle tickets,” added fellow founder James Bovell. South Sound boardwalk faces more delays KEN SILVA ksilva@pinnaclemedialtd.com Some two years after Pre- mier Alden McLaughlin said that the South Sound board- walk would be finished by the end of 2016, government has still not announced an expected completion date for the $1.3 million project. Much of the work along the half-mile boardwalk ap- pears to be done, but one of the sections has been se- verely damaged by a vehicle. The Infrastructure Ministry told the Compass that a truck ran over the boardwalk on Oct. 17 and broke multiple planks. The responsible party has agreed to cover the costs of the damage and repairs have begun, the ministry said on Monday. The ministry did not re- spond before this article’s press deadline to ques- tions about the project’s ex- pected completion date or what work remains to be done. Other amenities in- clude benches, parking and a bike lane in the South Sound area near the Cayman Crossing subdivision. The ministry’s last public update on the project was an Oct. 4 Facebook post with the hashtag “coming soon.” “Crystal clear blue sea, lush greenery – the South Sound Boardwalk will have it all. #SouthSoundBoardwalk #ComingSoon,” the ministry’s Facebook post states. The development has had multiple delays since it was announced in June 2016 as part of an overall beautifica- tion and improvement scheme for the area. In October 2016, Premier Alden McLaughlin said that work would be com- pleted by the end of that year. However, no work seemed to have taken place until the National Roads Authority changed the alignment of the road and announced in Sep- tember 2017 that the change was made to accommodate the boardwalk construction. Dozens of traffic cones have extended along the roadside for months, but no work took place until February. Government explained in a press release in Jan- uary that it was working out “technical details” with the project contractor. “A contract was signed with the Phoenix Construc- tion Group late last year, but some final technical details had to be worked out prior to commencement,” govern- ment said at the time. Gov- ernment said in January that the project should be com- pleted by the end of June, but what the ministry termed “robust” construction needs have pushed that date by about two months. “The construction of the boardwalk had to be ro- bust because of its prox- imity to the sea and the nat- ural undulation of the beach ridge,” government said in July. “There is also a ‘peat’ layer [plant matter] under the sand which can cause move- ment of the layers above it as water is absorbed or re- leased.” Government’s update explained that if the board- walk was simply constructed on top of compacted fill, like a typical sidewalk, the mate- rial could wash away in in- clement weather, crack or wrap over time, and eventu- ally lead to structural issues. “The project is con- structed with piles and a combination of concrete members and inlays of Trex planking,” government ex- plained in July, adding that the project should be finished by the end of August. Raffle winner Bernice Scott gets behind the wheel of her Jeep Wrangler, which was restored by Tony Williams, owner of Tony’s Toys, left. Also pictured are Janette Fitzgerald and Lydia Forbes, right, of the Breast Cancer Society. A section of the South Sound boardwalk was damaged last week by a truck. - PHOTO: KEN SILVAThe islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Jolly Roger to miss Pirates Week JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Jolly Roger pirate ship will not be making an appear- ance at this year’s Pirates Week festivities. Instead, the ship’s usual duties of bringing a gang of marauding pirates into Hog Sty Bay for the Pirates’ Landing will fall to a vessel called Big Island Schooner. Another boat, Blue Sky Sail- ing’s Splendour in the Wind, will also play a part in the event, bringing the “governor” to shore. The governor will be played by Robert Helina, a former Canadian Army officer. This will the second year in a row the Jolly Roger, a two- thirds size replica of Christo- pher Columbus’ 17th century galleon Nina, has not partici- pated in the festivities. The Pirates Week Office says contact was made with the Jolly Roger ship in early September to participate in the Pirates Week Landing initiative, but the offer was declined. Though the vessel is a reg- istered local business, and op- erates as a private enterprise, it still has sentimental value to the Pirates Week Festival office and in previous years played an integral part in the festival. The ship was damaged after running aground in George Town harbor earlier this month. Festival organizers said they are saddened to see the Jolly Roger in its cur- rent state, and wish the ship a speedy recovery, saying they will welcome the vessel back with open arms for future festivals. The pirates and the Red Coats will battle it out in George Town harbor from 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 10. A host of other festivities will be held throughout the week-long festival, now in its 41st year, including fireworks, an under- water treasure hunt, a float pa- rade, the “Trial of the Pirates,” boat trips, a turtle release, a song contest and much more. A full lineup of events can be found on www.piratesweekfestival.com. The Big Island Schooner will bring the pirates into George Town harbor at this year’s Pirates Week Festival. when 11,951 new com- panies formed. It also marks the first substantial uptick in com- pany incorporations since the territory’s reputa- tion suffered from the April 2016 reports on the Panama Papers – a trove of leaked documents allegedly showing BVI-registered companies being used for illegal activity. Along with the up- tick in new formations, the BVI also saw a major in- crease in its total number of active companies, from 389,459 in Q4 of 2014 to 432,529 in Q1 of this year (the number of total com- panies can increase more than new incorporations when previously dormant companies reactivate). However, the long-term trend has Cayman’s com- pany-formation sector growing, while the BVI’s has been shrinking. Whereas the BVI has seen its number of registered companies de- cline by nearly half – from around 800,000 in the mid- 2000s to 432,529 as of the first quarter of 2018 – Cayman has seen an in- crease from 83,532 in 2006 to around 106,000. engagement with Cayman and says the structures underpin- ning the relationship are no longer “fit for purpose.” They argue that the Cayman Islands should be treated as a partner by the U.K. “It should be recognized that while the Cayman Islands since 2009 has been success- fully operating under a new constitution, which gave us significantly more autonomy and devolved authority, the working relationship with the U.K. Government often means the Cayman Islands continues to be treated as a subordinate rather than a partner,” the sub- mission states. It also calls for safeguards to be put in place to prevent the U.K. parliament from “con- stitutional overreach” in the aftermath of the decision to mandate public beneficial own- ership registries in the terri- tories. The Cayman Islands is among several territories con- testing that decision as unwar- ranted interference with do- mestic policy matters. The paper also requests more respect and direct en- gagement from the U.K. for Cayman’s elected politicians. “We are often left with the impression there is a view the British Overseas Territories are to be administered, rather than treated with respect as self-governing representa- tive democracies in their own right,” the government wrote in the paper. “The Prime Minister should afford the elected leaders of the British Overseas Territories the courtesy of individual meet- ings when they come to the U.K., as is the case with other heads of government,” the sub- mission states. The FCO’s submission sug- gests it is not in support of sig- nificant constitutional changes. “The U.K. Government be- lieves the current constitutional balance of powers is broadly the right one,” it states. “As sovereign power, the U.K. must retain sufficient powers to enable us to dis- charge our constitutional and international responsibilities both to OT populations and in international fora.” The FCO submission ac- knowledges that many gov- ernments from overseas ter- ritories felt that parliament had interfered in an area of devolved responsibility by mandating public beneficial ownership registers. It stated: “Some OTs have put forward proposals for constitutional reform to address this con- cern. Ministers have asked OT Governments to submit detailed written proposals for consideration, while making clear our position that we believe the current balance of powers is broadly the right one.” It goes on to point out that the U.K. values its terri- tories, but will not stand in their way if they wish to seek independence. “The U.K. appreciates the OTs as a valued, long-term part of the British family. The position of successive U.K. governments over many decades is that any decision to terminate British sover- eignty through independence should be on the basis of the clear and constitutionally ex- pressed wish of the people of the relevant OT. Were this to happen, and where indepen- dence is a viable option, the U.K. would help to achieve it,” the FCO stated. good condition. He said it seemed that the hull’s wood was not damaged but some planks had sep- arated, likely due to the intrinsic weight of the vessel when laying side- ways, which caused the water ingress. “The Jolly Roger is a tough cookie. It survived Hurricane Ivan – it sur- vived also Hurricane Mi- chael,” Mr. Talanow said. He said the crew had a significant amount of help from West Indies Ma- rine, and they are par- ticularly grateful to John MacKenzie and his crew for working day and night to ensure the vessel’s safety and to transport it safely to dry dock. It was initially taken to the South Terminal and then to Beefers Dock while waiting for the right weather conditions to bring the vessel around the island, into the North Sound, to await space for dry docking. The Jolly Roger undergoes repair and maintenance work at the Barcadere Marina Tuesday. - PHOTO: ALVARO SEREY Jolly Roger under repair in dry dock CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cayman seeks veto power over future governor appointments CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Offshore company formations reach new high CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 PAC members attend London symposium Public Accounts Committee members Bernie Bush and Austin Harris attended a sym- posium in London last week that addressed tackling cor- ruption in public spending and identifying wasteful spending. Delegates from Common- wealth countries and British Overseas Territories attended the four-day 6th Annual Public Accounts Committees Sympo- sium and Workshop, which was held from Oct. 15 to Oct. 18. According to a Cayman Is- lands government press release, the symposium also covered how Public Accounts Commit- tees should handle “oral evi- dence, procedural analysis and methodologies for drawing conclusions, communications strategies, understanding wit- ness perspectives, and sifting the relevant information from large volume accounts.” “As the late British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once stated, the government has no money; it’s the people’s money,” said Mr. Harris in the press release. “It is therefore imperative that we spend the public’s money as prudently as possible and ensure that the people of the Cayman Islands are receiving the greatest value for their money.” During the symposium, Mr. Bush and Mr. Harris met with leading practitioners in the public accounts field, the release stated. Mr. Harris said the sympo- sium was “extremely benefi- cial in helping us understand the ways in which to imple- ment best practices for gov- ernment spending. PAC must hold all government entities accountable, and compliant with the highest of standards to safeguard the public purse.” Delegates from Kenya, Ghana, the Solomon Islands, Australia, Tonga and the United Kingdom also attended the symposium, which was hosted by the International Centre for Parliamentary Studies. Bernie Bush, back row, third from left, and Austin Harris, back row, fourth from right, attend the Public Accounts Committees symposium in London last week.The islands’ most-trusted news source 7 CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 Queen Elizabeth II hosts Dutch royals The Dutch king and queen on Tuesday began a state visit to Britain that will include full ceremonial honors. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands were welcomed Tuesday morning by Queen Elizabeth II at the Royal Pavilion at Horse Guards in central London. 9th Tourism Human Resources Conference 2018 28-30 NOVEMBER GRAND CAYMAN MARRIOTT BEACH RESORT REGISTER TODAY! Bringing together tourism public and private sector practitioners, human resource professionals, tourism educators/trainers, consultants, tertiary-level tourism and hospitality students to share tourism and hospitality sector human resource development strategies and best practices. FOR MORE DETAILS AND TO REGISTER: www.onecaribbean.org TM Sponsors: Fury over reported federal plan targeting transgender people EU rejects Italy’s budget, raising stakes in dispute BRUSSELS (AP) – The Euro- pean Commission on Tuesday rejected Italy’s proposed budget – the first time it has ever done so with a member state – as it argues the pop- ulist government’s spending plans for next year are out of line and would break prom- ises to lower public debt. The EU’s executive wants the Italian government to produce a new budget pro- posal, ratcheting up a dispute with the country. Italy argues the big increase in spending is needed to jumpstart the economy but the EU and many regional leaders say it could jeopardize Europe’s financial stability if Italy is unable to get its debts under control. “Today for the first time the Commission is obliged to request a euro area country to revise its draft budgetary plan,” said EU Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis. “But we see no alternative.” Italy immediately replied that it would stick to its plans and that the EU Commission had no right to meddle. “We won’t subtract one single euro form the budget,” Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters while in Bucharest. “I personally am available to go even tomorrow to meet the President of the European Commission to ex- plain how Italy’s economy will grow thanks to this ma- neuver. But no one will take one euro from this budget.” Markets were quick to punish Italy over the dis- pute, with the government’s cost of borrowing on inter- national bond markets rising and the Milan stock market falling 1 percent. The Commission is giving Italy three weeks to come up with a new proposal. Both sides have been fighting over the budget for weeks, but EU Commissioner Pierre Mosco- vici said over the weekend he wants to avoid a major conflict with the eurozone’s third-biggest economy. Moscovici said the Com- mission does not question the aims of the Italian govern- ment, which says that years of austerity and spending cuts have left unemployment high and growth anemic. But it says there are con- cerns about the budget’s im- pact on Italy’s people. Italy’s public debt is worth over 130 percent of GDP, the second- highest level in the EU after Greece and more than double the EU limit of 60 percent. Italy’s budget aims to have a deficit of 2.4 percent of GDP next year, more than three times what it had pre- viously promised. And the in- creased spending mean Italy would not reduce its debt as it had promised. “Italy must continue its effort to lower its debt be- cause it is the enemy of the economy,” said Moscovici. WASHINGTON (AP) – LGBT leaders across the U.S. re- acted with fury Monday to a report that the Trump admin- istration is considering adop- tion of a new definition of gender that would effectively deny federal recognition and civil rights protections to transgender Americans. “I feel very threatened, but I am absolutely reso- lute,” Mara Keisling, exec- utive director of the Na- tional Center for Transgender Rights, said at a news confer- ence convened by more than a dozen activist leaders. “We will stand up and be resil- ient, and we will be here long after this administration is in the trash heap.” The activist leaders, speaking amid posters reading “#Won’tBeErased,” later addressed a protest rally outside the White House. On Sunday, The New York Times reported that the De- partment of Health and Human Services was circu- lating a memo proposing that gender be defined as an immutable biological con- dition determined by a per- son’s sex organs at birth. The proposal would define sex as either male or female, and any dispute about one’s sex would have to be clari- fied through genetic testing, according to the Times’ ac- count of the memo. For LGBT-rights leaders, it’s the administration’s latest attack on transgender Amer- icans. They also cite an at- tempt to ban them from mil- itary service; a memo from Attorney General Jeff Ses- sions concluding that civil rights laws do not protect transgender people from dis- crimination on the job; and the scrapping of Obama-era guidance encouraging school officials to let transgender students use school bath- rooms that matched their gender identities. President Donald Trump briefly addressed the latest controversy as he left the White House for a political trip to Houston, but left un- clear how his administration plans to proceed. “We have a lot of different concepts right now,” Trump said. “They have a lot of dif- ferent things happening with respect to transgender right now – you know that as well as I do – and we’re looking at it very seriously.” Trump added: “I’m pro- tecting everybody.” The Cabinet agency had acknowledged months ago that it was working to re- write a federal rule that bars discrimination in healthcare based on “gender identity.” It cited a Texas-based fed- eral judge’s opinion that the original rule went too far in concluding that discrimina- tion based on gender iden- tity is a form of sex discrimi- nation, which is forbidden by civil rights laws. The department said Monday it would not com- ment on “alleged leaked docu- ments.” It did release a state- ment from Roger Severino, head of its Office for Civil Rights, saying his agency was reviewing the issue while abiding by the 2016 ruling from the Texas-based federal judge, Reed O’Connor. LGBT activists, who pledged legal challenges if the reported memo leads to official policy, said several other courts had issued rul- ings contrary to O’Connor’s. “For years, courts across the country have recognized that discriminating against someone because they are transgender is a form of sex discrimination, full stop,” said Diana Flynn, Lambda Legal’s litigation director. “If this administration wants to try and turn back the clock by moving ahead with its own legally frivolous and scientifically unsupportable definition of sex, we will be there to meet that challenge.” Shannon Minter, a trans- gender attorney with the Na- tional Center for Lesbian Rights, called the reported plan a “cynical political ploy to sow discord and energize a right-wing base” before the Nov. 6 election. UCLA legal scholar Joc- elyn Samuels, who ran the HHS civil rights office in the Obama administration, said the Trump administration would be going beyond es- tablished law if it adopted the policy in the memo. “What they are saying is you do not get to decide your sex; it is the government that will decide your sex,” said Samuels. While social mores enter into the debate, medical and scientific experts have long recognized a condition called “gender dysphoria” – discom- fort or distress caused by a discrepancy between the gender that a person iden- tifies as and the gender at birth. Consequences can in- clude severe depression. Treatment can range from sex-reassignment surgery and hormones to people changing their outward ap- pearance by adopting a dif- ferent hairstyle or clothing. According to an esti- mate by the Williams Insti- tute at the UCLA School of Law, there are about 1.4 mil- lion transgender adults in the United States. Protestors from the National Center for Transgender Equality and the Human Rights Campaign gather Monday on Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House in Washington. – PHOTO: AP8 WORLD&REGIONAL WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 • CAYMAN COMPASS Lynden and Emma John are proud to announce the birth of their son, Aiden Rhys John. He was born 21st of October at the George Town Hospital. Family and friends greeted little Aiden with lots of love and well wishes. He weighed 7 pounds, 10 ounces and was 21 inches long. His maternal grandparents are Maureen and Cli on Hislop of Bodden Town, and his paternal grandmother is Teresa John of Johannesburg. His uncles and aunty are Gareth, Owain, Daniel and Julia. Lynden, Emma and Aiden are grateful to our family and friends for all the kind messages and well wishes. the birth of their son, He was born 21st of October at the George Town Hospital. Family and friends His maternal grandparents are Maureen and Cli on Hislop of Bodden Town, and his paternal grandmother is Teresa John of Johannesburg. His uncles and aunty are Gareth, Lynden and Emma John are proud to announce Lynden and Emma John are proud to announce China-US ties sinking amid acrimony over trade, politics CHINA EMERGENCY CREWS STRUGGLING TO RESCUE 18 TRAPPED MINERS BEIJING (AP) – Emer- gency crews were struggling Tuesday to rescue 18 coal miners trapped underground in eastern China following a collapse inside the shaft three days earlier. Three miners were killed by falling rocks in Saturday’s collapse in Shandong prov- ince that also destroyed part of a drainage tunnel. State media showed am- bulances standing by at the mine entrance and crews equipped with oxygen tanks heading underground. More than 300 people were working inside the mine at the time of the collapse, and most were lifted to safety. China long had the world’s deadliest coal mines but safety has improved considerably with more modern equipment, better training and the closure of the most dangerous mines. China is by far the world’s largest coal consumer and the amount it mined last year increased about 3 percent in 2017. While some coal proj- ects have been canceled as China struggles to clear pol- luted skies, coal remains key to providing heat and pow- ering the economy. BEIJING (AP) – “Both igno- rant and malicious” was how the official China Daily news- paper recently described comments by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, of- fering a stinging insight into the current bitter tone of dis- course between the countries. The White House’s move to expand Washington’s dispute with Beijing beyond trade and technology and into ac- cusations of political med- dling has sunk relations be- tween the world’s two largest economies to the lowest level since the Cold War. A major speech by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence on Oct. 4 was the clearest, highest- level sign that U.S. strategy was turning from engage- ment to confrontation. Pence accused China of interfering in the midterm elections to undermine President Donald Trump’s tough trade policies against Beijing, warned other countries to be wary of Bei- jing’s “debt diplomacy” and denounced China’s actions in the South China Sea. “What the Russians are doing pales in compar- ison to what China is doing across this country,” Pence told an audience at the Hudson Institute think tank in Washington. Both sides are trading in- creasingly sharp accusations over human rights and global hegemony, exposing an ide- ological divide that pits the two on a path of confron- tation with no clear resolu- tion in sight. While a military clash has not been ruled out, Amer- ican-based analysts envi- sion a continuing push-and- pull for dominance between Trump and his Chinese coun- terpart, Xi Jinping, China’s most dominant – and repres- sive – leader since Mao Ze- dong. Xi’s aggressive for- eign policy and authoritarian ways have altered views of China across the board. “What has happened is a sea change in U.S. perceptions of China,” said June Teufel Dreyer, an expert on Chinese politics who teaches polit- ical science at the University of Miami. While Chinese of- ficials privately say they’re concerned about the sharp deterioration in ties, espe- cially given the massive links between the two in trade, im- migration and education, it appears Beijing is more than willing to go toe-to-toe under the new circumstances. Increasingly, the percep- tion that as China grew more prosperous it would fall in line with global values and international law has been exploded. Into that breach has come hardening U.S. rhet- oric toward Beijing and ac- tions to counter, deter or defy China’s moves in the interna- tional sector, particularly its “Belt and Road” trade and infrastructure initiative that seeks to expand Beijing’s eco- nomic and political footprint from Cambodia to Cairo. Trump’s first national se- curity strategy, released last year, also labeled China a “revisionist power” alongside Russia. Beijing’s outrage at Pompeo, meanwhile, was prompted by his recent warn- ings to Latin American coun- tries about the dangers of accepting Chinese infrastruc- ture loans that are a key as- pect of Xi’s signature foreign policy project. “U.S.-China relations have deteriorated to their worst point” since the 1989 Ti- ananmen Square pro-democ- racy protests in Beijing that were crushed by the Chinese military, said Michael Kovrig, senior adviser for North- east Asia at the International Crisis Group. “It may not be a clash of civilizations, but it is a long- festering conflict of national, political and economic in- terest and systems that has reached a point of rup- ture,” Kovrig said. Xi has abandoned the strategy laid out by reformist leader Deng Xiaoping that China should bide its time and refrain from advertising its ambitions to become a world power. Instead, he has been accused of overreach by promoting China’s drive to become a global tech- nology leader by 2025, in- cluding by compelling for- eign companies to hand over their know-how, and pushing Chinese-financed energy and transportation projects that leave target countries with unsustainable debt. On the military front, a Chinese destroyer last month maneuvered perilously close to the USS Decatur in the South China Sea. The Chinese also denied a request for a U.S. Navy ship to visit Hong Kong and rejects U.S. con- cerns over its policies toward other countries. “The U.S. simply aims to drive a wedge between China and relevant countries with those remarks,” Foreign Min- istry spokeswoman Hua Chu- nying said Monday. “It is meaningless and futile.” The tart rhetoric is evi- dent on both sides. Nikki Haley, the U.S. am- bassador to the United Na- tions, said in a speech last week that China’s government “is engaged in the persecu- tion of religious and ethnic minorities that is straight out of George Orwell,” referencing the internment of Muslims in the country’s northwest in po- litical reeducation camps. This month, the United States went further by threat- ening to pull out of the Uni- versal Postal Union because it says the treaty allows China to ship packages to the U.S. at discounted rates at the expense of Amer- ican businesses. Underlying the estrange- ment is the sense that Beijing lacks reciprocity, taking ad- vantage of open markets and free societies to extend its interests, while denying the same benefits to companies, governments and individuals over which it has influence. “My bottom line view is that Xi Jinping very much overplayed his hand taking advantage of the restrained and moderate (former Presi- dent Barack) Obama,” said Robert Sutter, a China ex- pert at George Washington University. “Now he has an enormous American series of challenges to deal with, with no easy solutions.” While Chinese companies – often backed by easy credit from state banks – have been snapping up foreign assets, Beijing restricts such foreign purchases in key sectors such as energy, transport and tele- communications. Although China has loosened some joint-venture demands, in- cluding in the auto industry, that may be too little too late. China is “not very willing to constrain itself under rules that it feels were forced upon it,” said Dean Cheng, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation in Washington. “This includes the international trading system, which is domi- nated by the U.S.” Still, attempts to contain China along the lines laid out during the Cold War would be “difficult, if not impos- sible,” given the broad range of contacts across polit- ical, economic and personal spheres, Cheng said. The U.S. has also rein- forced ties with Taiwan – claimed by China as its own territory – building an im- pressive new de facto em- bassy there, approving a major sale of military parts and services, and authorizing companies to help the self- governing island democracy build submarines to defend itself from China’s threats to use force to bring it under Beijing’s control. The tensions are under- scored by political uncer- tainties in both countries. Trump faces a referendum of sorts on his policies in next month’s midterm elec- tions, while Xi has come under rare criticism at home since he forced through a constitutional amendment in March to allow him to lead indefinitely. Xi is also beset by a slowing economy, made worse by U.S. tariffs that threaten the jobs of millions of Chinese workers. While China has retaliated with its own tariffs on U.S. goods, the loss of American mar- kets will likely be a major drag on growth. All such factors ap- pear to speak poorly for any immediate resolution to the frictions. While a military clash has not been ruled out, American-based analysts envision a continuing push-and- pull for dominance between Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, China’s most dominant – and repressive – leader since Mao Zedong. More than 300 people were working inside the mine at the time of the collapse, and most were lifted to safety. Relations between the world’s two largest economies have sunk to their lowest level since the end of the Cold War. – PHOTO: AP9 WORLD&REGIONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 24, 2018 Issue of married Catholic priests gains traction VATICAN CITY (AP) – As the Vatican copes with the growing clergy sex abuse scandal and declining number of priests world- wide, it is laying the ground- work to open formal debate on an issue that has long been taboo: opening up the priesthood to married men in parts of the world where clergy are scarce. Pope Francis has con- vened a meeting of South American bishops next year focusing on the plight of the church in the Amazon, a vast territory served by far too few priests. During that synod, the question of ordaining married men of proven virtue – so-called “viri probati” – is expected to figure on the agenda. This week, a two-hour documentary on Italian tele- vision is likely to contribute to the conversation. “The Choice: Priests and Love” profiles more than a dozen men in four European coun- tries who are either living clandestinely with women, have created their own un- sanctioned church commu- nities where married priests preside at Mass, or left the Catholic priesthood alto- gether to marry. The documentary, to be aired Wednesday on Dis- covery Italia and previewed to The Associated Press, makes the case that many of these men would gladly re- turn to the priesthood and offer their pastoral services. Their plight has found a sympathetic ear in Francis, who has long expressed a willingness to consider “viri probati” to address pastoral needs in the Amazon. He has also expressed sympathy for priests who have made the anguished choice to leave. Vocatio, an Italian as- sociation of these “married priests,” wrote Francis ear- lier this month pledging their solidarity as he copes with the global fallout of the sex abuse scandal, and once again offering their ser- vices in ministry. “We would like you to take into consideration – without prejudice or pretense – the opportunity of allowing us an active presence in dioc- esan activity, given our expe- rience and competence in the sacraments we have lived: ministry and matrimony,” the group wrote. The head of Vocatio, former priest Rosario Moc- ciaro who married civilly in 1977, estimates there are about 5,000 men in Italy alone who have left the priesthood, a third of whom would seek a return to mar- ried ministry if allowed. He said he was hopeful for prog- ress under Francis and some sympathetic Italian bishops, saying they brought “a new air and atmosphere” to a long-standing problem. “The possibility of having ‘viri probati’ would be a great opening, a great step forward,” he told AP, adding it would begin to sensi- tize the church and public opinion to the prospect of both a married and a celi- bate priesthood. The celibate priest- hood has been a tradition of the Latin rite Catholic Church since the 11th cen- tury; no doctrine requires it, and many eastern rite Cath- olic Churches allow married men to be ordained. In addi- tion, the Catholic Church al- lows married Anglican clergy who convert to remain in priestly ministry. Francis has long said he appreciates the discipline of celibacy, but that it can change given it is discipline, not doctrine. History’s first Latin Amer- ican pope has been partic- ularly attentive to the ar- gument in favor of the “viri probati” in the Amazon, where the mostly indige- nous faithful can go months without seeing a priest, and where Protestant and evan- gelical churches are wooing away Catholic souls. While the situation is par- ticularly grave there, overall the number of priests world- wide has dropped for another consecutive year – down 687 to 414,969 – while the global Catholic population has grown by 14.25 million, according to recent figures from the Vatican’s Fides mis- sionary service. Opening the priesthood to married men, even in lim- ited and localized places, would open the question of providing financially for the priests’ families – an ex- pense long cited as a key reason for the imposition of celibacy in the 11th century: The church did not want its assets to pass down to priests’ heirs. The issue of providing for the children of priests, how- ever, is already on the agenda at the Vatican and in bishops conferences and religious or- ders around the world, given the cases of priests who vio- late their celibacy vows and have children secretly. An Irish psychothera- pist and son of a priest, Vin- cent Doyle, has founded an online resource, Coping In- ternational, to offer assis- tance for priests’ children, who often endure depression, anxiety and other mental health issues blamed on the silence imposed on them by the church. Doyle has successfully petitioned the pope’s Pontif- ical Council for the Protec- tion of Minors – his hand- picked sex abuse advisory committee – to consider the issue of priests’ children to be part of its mandate, given some of these children are born to minors. Pope Francis waves to faithful at the end of the Angelus prayer in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. – PHOTO: AP The celibate priesthood has been a tradition of the Latin rite Catholic Church since the 11th century; no doctrine requires it.Next >