Cayman Compass - 12 February, 2021

100% hoppe r® 0% Beef 100% Whop per ® 0% Beef 100% Whop per ® 0% Beef Patty made from plants. TM & © 2020 Burger King Corporation. Impossible is a trademark of Impossible Foods Inc. Used under license. cayman compass Your most trusted news source Established 1965 $1 | Funding local journalism | Weekly, 12-18 February 2021 Election season begins Cayman's leaders have called an early election for the ﬁ rst time in the islands' history. The Cayman Compass is your home for the best in election coverage. Matinees (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00 (Mon-Fri before 6pm) Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets 640-FILM (640-3456) 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. WHAT’S PLAYING THIS WEEK JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH (R) (FRI) 4:00 | 7:00 | 7:20 VIP | 9:25 VIP (SAT & WED) 12:30 VIP | 1:00 | 4:00 | 7:00 | 7:20 VIP | 9:25 VIP (MON & THURS) 4:00 | 7:00 | 7:00 VIP (TUE) 4:00 | 7:00 MASTER (R) (FRI)3:30 | 6:30 | 9:05 (SAT & WED) 12:00 | 3:30 | 6:30 | 9:05 (MON-TUE & THURS) 3:30 | 6:30 THE CROODS: A NEW AGE (PG) (SAT) 10:50 | 1:15PM (SUN) 4:15 VIP | 5:30 | 6:50 | 7:10 VIP (WED) 1:15 THE LITTLE THINGS (R) (FRI) 4:00 VIP | 7:15 | 9:50 VIP (SAT & WED) 12:30 | 4:00 VIP | 7:15 | 9:50 VIP (MON-TUE & THURS) 4:30 VIP | 7:10 THE MARKSMAN (PG-13) (FRI-SAT & WED) 3:40 | 7:00 VIP | 10:10 (SUN) 3:40 | 4:00 VIP | 7:00 VIP | 9:45 VIP | 10:10 (MON-TUE & THURS) 3:45 | 7:30 VIP WONDER WOMAN 1984 (PG-13) (SAT & WED) 1:10 VIP (SUN) 3:20 | 6:25 | 6:45 VIP | 8:00 | 9:10 9:35 VIP WRONG TURN (R) (FRI) 3:45 VIP | 3:50 | 6:45 VIP | 10:00PM |10:15 VIP (SAT & WED) 3:45 VIP | 3:50 | 6:45 VIP | 10:00 | 10:15 VIP (MON-TUE & THURS) 3:45 VIP | 4:10 | 6:45 VIP 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. CLASSICS BIG (PG) TUES. 7PM KIDS CLUB HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON (PG) SATURDAY 10AM PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Cayman Compass Ltd. Compass Centre, Shedden Road, George Town, Cayman Islands SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman, KY1-1108 Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@compassmedia.ky ADVERTISE WITH US: T: (345) 949-5111 E: sales@compassmedia.ky W: caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EDITORINCHIEF KEVIN MORALES weather 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW Friday Forecast FORECAST Partly cloudy skies and a 40% chance of morning showers. SEA STATE Moderate with wave heights of 3 to 5 feet. SAT 86°F HIGH 74°F LOW SUN 84°F HIGH 74°F LOW MON 85°F HIGH 73°F LOW TUES 85°F HIGH 74°F LOW WED 86°F HIGH 76°F LOW THUR 86°F HIGH 76°F LOW caymancompass.comfacebook.com/caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass WINDS East to southeast at 10 to 15 knots today, 5 to 10 knots tonight. FIND US ONLINE Caymancompass.com Facebook.com/Caycompass cayman_compass@cayCompassCayman Compass Doctors Express raid unlawful, court rules A 2019 customs raid and seizure of medical cannabis products from Doctors Express healthcare facility was unlawful, the Grand Court has ruled. Chief Medical Ofﬁ cer Dr. John Lee also acted improperly and outside of his powers when he issued a ‘cease notice’ banning vapourisable cannabis, according to a judgment handed down Friday, 5 Feb. Doctors Express was legally licensed to import cannabis for medical use and there was no reason for suspecting it had broken any law when customs ofﬁ cers, accompanied by police, raided the premises in September 2019, Justice Robin McMillan stated. “It is impossible to conclude that there were or are any grounds for the applicant having committed any offense at all,” he stated in the judgment. The judge quashed both the cease notice – which he said had no basis in law – and the search warrant obtained by Customs and Border Control, which he ruled was ﬁ lled with serious and overwhelming errors that are “likely without precedent in the Cayman Islands”. He also called into question the credibility of evidence given during the court proceedings by senior public ofﬁ cials, including Lee. Dart plans development on either side of Esterley Tibbetts Dart has submitted a planning application to create a mixed-used, resort and residential development that will span an area from the Cayman Islands Yacht Club to Seven Mile Beach, and may involve cutting a canal under the Esterley Tibbetts Highway bridge. The company applied to the Central Planning Authority earlier this month for a planned area development, known as a PAD, on either side of the Esterley Tibbetts Highway. The speciﬁ c application relates to an area of land west of the Cayman Islands Yacht Club, between the Governor’s Harbour and Salt Creek roundabouts. If the plan is approved, it will mean that Dart’s resort/residential developments in that area will extend from the Yacht Club at Governor’s Creek to the Kimpton Seaﬁ re Resort + Spa on Seven Mile Beach. According to a press release on the project, the new PAD area is designed to be developed in phases over several years. The resort areas and the residential neighbourhood will be connected through a network of roads, pedestrian paths, bicycle trails and waterways. PADs, of which Dart’s Camana Bay is an example, enable the development of mixed-use, master-planned developments, although each project within the area requires separate planning permission. Cayman ﬁ nancial investigators freeze US$200 million The Cayman Islands Bureau of Financial Investigations has secured court orders freezing US$200 million as part of the agency’s anti- money laundering efforts. The money is held in a combination of Cayman-based and foreign accounts. Richard Barrow, chief inspector of the bureau, in a press release from Government Information Services, said that the funds are being held as part of “several active investigations, a small number of which relate to the potential ﬁ nancing of terrorism”. The bureau was established in March 2020, building on the work of an interim task force set up in April 2019. It is a separate entity from the Financial Crime Investigation Unit, which deals primarily with domestic ﬁ nancial crime matters. Hike in electricity rate Consumers are likely to face higher electricity bills starting this month after Caribbean Utilities Company raised its base rates by 6.6%. The rate adjustment will result in a total monthly bill increase of approximately $5.26 for a residential customer who uses 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) per month, CUC said in a press release. The average residential customer in Cayman uses approximately double that amount – about 1,000 kWh – per month. The base rate adjustment was initially approved by utility regulator OfReg last year and scheduled to take effect on 1 June 2020, but due to the COVID-19 crisis, the rate hike was deferred until 1 Jan. 2021 and will be reﬂ ected in February’s bills. The regulator has approved CUC to recover the lost revenues from the seven-month deferral over the next two years, until the end of 2022. 2 arrested in North Side ganja raid Police arrested two people on suspicion of drug- related offences on 9 Feb. following a raid on a North Side property. Royal Cayman Islands Police Service ofﬁ cers conducted what was described as “a proactive operation” in Further Road, off North Side Road. During a search of the property, police recovered bags containing suspected ganja, as well as ganja plants. A 34-year-old woman, of West Bay, and a 58-year-old man, of North Side, were arrested on suspicion of consumption of ganja and possession of ganja with intent to supply, police said in a statement. Cabinet ordered to release Smith Cove decision Ombudsman Sandy Hermiston has ruled that excerpts of Cabinet minutes relating to a planning- permission exemption for Smith Barcadere should be made public. It had been reported in February last year that no planning permission would be required for a proposed, and later abandoned, plan to redevelop Smith Barcadere, also known as Smith Cove. Those plans included a parking lot, an arch at the beach entrance, walkways, additional bathroom blocks, a security ofﬁ ce and a timber cabana. Cabinet granted exemption from planning permission for the government-owned land in July 2018. The ombudsman released her decision on 8 Feb., after ﬁ nding that the Cabinet Ofﬁ ce should not have denied a Freedom of Information request to access an extract of the Cabinet minutes related to the planning-permission exemption decision. This aerial image shows the area that the mixed-used development will cover, spanning from the Cayman Islands Yacht Club to Seven Mile Beach. - Image: Dart Police seized bags of ganja in the raid on Tuesday, 9 Feb. - Photo: RCIPS news in brief cayman compass 2 N news FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Voters will now get to have their say in the 2021 general election on 14 April, six weeks earlier than previously announced. Premier Alden McLaughlin on 12 Feb. triggered early elections by requesting Governor Martyn Roper dissolve Parliament on 14 Feb., a request the Governor subsequently accepted. The move angered opposition members who said the Premier’s decision to request the dissolution of Parliament was politically motivated. Roper came under ﬁ re for acting on the premier’s request with social commenters saying, “it was a poor decision” and an “act of cowardice.” However, Roper, responding to queries from the Cayman Compass on the push back, said criticism comes with the territory and he stands by his decision. “As I have discovered in this role, action or inaction by the Governor will always be open to criticism. I acted fully in line with section 84 (2) of the Constitution. Ultimately the timing of the elections is, and should be, a matter for the elected Premier and his Government,” he said. The governor, in his brief statement, said decision on the future of the country now resides with the electorate. “Voters now have an earlier opportunity to express their views at the ballot box on who they wish to represent them, as part of the vibrant democracy we all enjoy on our Islands,” he said. In his 10 Feb. statement announcing the new election date, Roper said the date of 14 April was chosen to replace the May General Election date, “as the Constitution sets out a maximum of two months between the dissolution of the Parliament and a General Election.” He stressed the new date ensures that “no newly registered, eligible voters are disenfranchised.” The Elections Ofﬁ ce is in the process of the ﬁ nalising the 1 April Register of Electors, which will be used for 4 April polls. The deadline for claims and objections to voters listed on the revised list of voters, which stands at 23, 647, is 25 Feb. No conﬁ dence motion pressure prompts action McLaughlin’s request to call the election could be considered a decisive blow to political opponents as he effectively shut down the Opposition’s no conﬁ dence motion against House Speaker McKeeva Bush. The move also may leave some candidates on the backfoot in terms of hitting the campaign trail. Opposition Leader Arden McLean said in an 11 Feb. statement the Premier’s announcement is his “acknowledgment that he has no control over his Government - a Government which is obviously united in its lack of respect for the peoples’ interests.” “The early election on 14th April will be a referendum on decency and accountability, both of which have been in short supply by this Government. This unprecedented move is nothing more than a hasty response by the Government to sidestep our further efforts to have the contentious issue of whether to remove the current Speaker of the House addressed decisively by Parliament,” McLean said in that statement. McLean said that as of 10 Feb. he had secured six signatures in his attempt to call a special sitting of the Parliament for lawmakers to debate the no conﬁ dence motion, which was seconded by North Side MP Ezzard Miller. Bush was convicted back in December on assault charges after a violent attack on the female manager at Coral Beach Bar on West Bay Road last February. McLaughlin, in his 10 Feb. statement on the dissolution of Parliament, said, “After careful consideration, I have therefore determined that it is in the best interest of the country for Parliament to be dissolved immediately, which will have the effect of vacating the seat of the Speaker.” He added, by doing this, “Mr. Bush will no longer be the Speaker of the House and the country, by way of earlier elections, will determine who they wish to serve as their representatives – this includes the voters of West Bay West deciding whether they wish Mr. Bush to be re-elected to Parliament.” Bush, when contacted by the Compass for comment, said, “Let those who wish to criticize do so. We are a free country, the majority in a democracy is what matters.” McLaughlin, in his statement, addressed the no conﬁ dence motion, saying that despite the fact that Parliament was due to be dissolved on 29 March and no further meetings are being planned by the government, the Opposition and “others continue to press for the removal of the Speaker”. “Currently, and for the second time, the Leader of the Opposition is circulating a letter seeking signatures of at least 7 Members to call a special meeting of the House to debate a motion of no conﬁ dence in the Speaker. He has not yet obtained the requisite number of signatures, but it is plain that as long as Mr. Bush remains as Speaker, the controversy over his recent convictions will not abate,” McLaughlin said. The governor said he will be issuing a proclamation on Sunday, 14 Feb., dissolving the Parliament, in accordance with Section 84(2) of the Cayman Islands Constitution. McLaughlin, in a statement following the governor’s announcement, said, “Mr. Bush has indicated repeatedly that he will not resign the post of Speaker and as I have said publicly on more than one occasion, I believe the forcible removal of Mr. Bush by the Government would threaten the stability of the Government. Were that to occur, it is almost certain that the Governor would be forced to dissolve the Parliament in any event,” he said. McLaughlin said a “rancorous” session of Parliament debating the no conﬁ dence motion may not have ended with the removal of Bush as some Opposition members could decline to vote in favour of the motion despite having signed a letter calling for a special meeting. “But it will create rancor in our community and likely amongst members of my Government. Without question, it will be a massive distraction from the critically important work we are engaged in, which ranges from dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic and efforts at reopening the economy while keeping Cayman safe, to addressing the continued threat of EU blacklisting,” he said. Roper said returning ofﬁ cers will be issued writs setting the new nominations day as Monday, 1 March. “This date, just over two weeks from the dissolution of the Parliament, allows time for potential candidates to prepare. I have been assured by the Supervisor of Elections that the Elections Ofﬁ ce will be able to deliver a smooth, fair, and transparent General Election on this new date,” he said. Roper encouraged voters to cast their ballots. “Cayman Islands General Elections have historically had excellent voter turnout, and I encourage all voters to exercise their democratic right and vote in the 14 April 2021 General Election,” he said. Governor Martyn Roper Early election triggered Governor stands by decision to dissolve Parliament VOTE CAYMAN Elector age pyramid chart for Jan 1, 2021 ofﬁ cial register 1064 1616 2492 2768 1781 1562 688 842 75 and Older 65-74 55-64 35-44 45-54 25-34 18-24 MaleFemale 1459 2196 2721 1490 1348 614 Opposition Leader Arden McLean, House Speaker McKeeva Bush and Premier Alden McLaughlin pictured together at the renaming of Parliament last December. – Photo: Alvaro Serey Visit votecayman.com, your home for the 2021 Cayman Islands General Election. cayman compass 3 news N news FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 20211234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 1234567 89 101112 13 1415 16 171819 20 212223 2425 ACROSS 1 More than is needed (7) 5 Correspond (5) 8 Detailed analysis (9) 9 Relatives (3) 10 Consider (4) 12 Food of ancient gods (8) 14 For choice (6) 15 Feeble imitation (6) 17 Offer for discussion (8) 18 Read superficially (4) 21 Operate effectively (3) 22 Words of off-screen narrator (5-4) 24 Subsequent (5) 25 Brave (7) DOWN 1 Restrained (5) 2 Repent of (3) 3 Similar thing (4) 4 Tempestuous (6) 5 Canadian port (8) 6 Review the situation (4,5) 7 Central European country (7) 11 Retaliation (3,3,3) 13 Handgun (8) 14 Italian High Renaissance painter (7) 16 Final part of story (6) 19 Be worthy of (5) 20 Distribution of cards (4) 23 Through (3) The Compass Crossword Puzzle The Compass universal kakuro Puzzle 16613 The numbers in the black cells are clues. Numbers above the slash are across clues. Number below the slash are down clues. The goal is to enter digits 1 - 9 in the white cells to add up to the number clues. You cannot enter any digit more than once when adding up to clue. TODAY'S SOLUTIONS Puzzle 16613 ACROSS: 1 Surplus, 5 Match, 8 Breakdown, 9 Kin, 10 Rate, 12 Ambrosia, 14 Rather, 15 Parody, 17 Propound, 18 Skim, 21 Act, 22 Voice-over, 24 Later, 25 Gallant. DOWN: 1 Sober, 2 Rue, 3 Like, 4 Stormy, 5 Montreal, 6 Take stock, 7 Hungary, 11 Tit for tat, 13 Revolver, 14 Raphael, 16 Ending, 19 Merit, 20 Deal, 23 Via. Since the 1960s, the Fair Housing Act has been law in the United States, protecting against discriminatory practices against potential tenants or home buyers. Nearly 60 years later, and in Cayman I still see countless rentals that explicitly say ‘no children’. This practice to deny a rental based on familial status is, in my opinion, a violation of basic human dignity. How has this violation survived so long in our beautiful country? Nick Adams Do you support the early election call? cayman compass Undecided Yes No ONLINE POLL 53% 37% 10% Letters to the editor Fair-housing protection needed What they’re saying The Resh Hour speaks to Arden McLean Vote like your grandkid’s future depends on it! It does... – Eden Hurlston Thank you Mr. McLean for speaking up against this. Allow- ing a leader to continue in such a high ofﬁ ce after being found guilty. What message does that send to other young men regarding hitting women? – Jackie Ebanks I am so ashamed of this ‘Unity Government’ led by Alden McLaughlin. Destroying our islands, ignoring constitu- ents and using/creating laws to remove accountability and remove transparency from the electorate. I will continue to ask questions and research and I will vote. – Taura Ebanks Compass breaks down call for early elections It seems to me that anyone who is running for election and depending on people to vote for them, should not be waiting till the 11th hour to come out and say who they are anyhow. Instead they should have been out there in our communities, helping and getting to know the people all along. I’d feel very hard-pressed to give my vote to someone who I have not seen actively out in our communities prior to their declaration of run- ning for ofﬁ ce. – Mia Schvartz They will run on their accom- plishments and new candidates need to get out there and bring in a electorate that is more than likely to stick with what they have ! Crazy helps the incum- bents! Not all but most. – Sean Bodden This move has nothing to do with elections or the govern- ment; a Privy Council ruling is on the horizon. Wake up people. – Charles S Whittaker Arden McLean: Call for early elections ‘disgusting’ They are all the same keep Trump out of your dolly house politics. You are all to blame for this mess. Nothing is going to change; simply voting won’t make any change. You need to educate the people ﬁ rst. Skip the election and spend the rest of the year educating the people; more than half of the Caymanian public have never even seen or read the Constitu- tion. – Richard McLean Consumers to see higher electricity bills Ridiculous in this current situation; many people are unemployed and facing other issues. – Celicia Alley The narrative when all this started was ‘prices won’t de- crease now because we buy fuel almost a year ahead’. Well, it’s almost that year. Big surprise: prices are going up. – Randy Miller CUC is only concerned with the shareholders’ proﬁ t. When are we going to see solar? Why no wind? Why no transition to propane which is cleaner and much less costly? – Jeri Bovell Economist cautions Cayman must address wealth disparity This lady makes so much sense, she should be hired to set policy for the next 10 years. The candidates this election better speak to plans to ad- dress the socio-economic in- equality. We want an end to tax loading the lower income and starving social programmes whilst giving duty concessions to the rich. – Troy Leacock It’s already too expensive for an average tourist. I can only imagine how the high prices affect locals on a daily basis. We lived there in the ear- ly 90s, pre-Dart, pre-commer- cialised, pre-too big for your own good. You’ve done this to yourself. Shame on you. You’ve ruined your beautiful, quaint island making it unaffordable for everyone, especially your own people that have no choice but to stay there – Michele Vanderford It’s always been expensive to live in Cayman. If you choose to live there, it’s always going to be expensive. I would love to come back and help the locals and the economy. I truly miss the islands and the friendship of the locals. When you are are ready we are ready! Love and prayers Cayman. – Sue Lenhardt Online Come 14 April, we'll see more scenes like this one in 2017 as voters have their say. cayman compass 4 news N news FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021CAROLINE JAMES cjames@compassmedia.ky Both the current and former Opposition leaders have hit out at the triggering of early elections. North Side MP Ezzard Miller told the Cayman Compass 10 Feb. that the move was “terrible” for Cayman and Caymanians. East End MP Arden McLean, appearing on Cayman Compass’ The Resh Hour just hours after Premier Alden McLaughlin called for early elections, expressed his displeasure at the move and referred to it as “disgusting”. Speaking with host Reshma Ragoonath on the live broadcast, McLean said, “It is quite disgusting that this Premier would put the people on trial, as opposed to making the speaker pay for his indiscretions.” McLean accused McLaughlin of punishing the people he purports to represent, questioning why the premier has put the onus on the electorate to vote out the Speaker rather than taking action to remove McKeeva Bush himself. He said this affront was the latest in a catalogue of ills afﬂ icted on the jurisdiction by the Unity government, citing, amongst others, the controversial port proposal and subsequent referendum. “His narcissistic behaviour is concerning and needs to be addressed at the general election,” McLean said of McLaughlin. “The people of this country need to put him out to pasture.” He added that the early elections had rendered his call for a no conﬁ dence motion in Bush effectively moot. Miller stressed that the decision had been made on “a false proposition that dissolving Parliament will force the Speaker to vacate his seat. The Speaker remains in position like the rest of us until he is replaced by the new Parliament. This is simply bad for Cayman,” he said. McLean further questioned whether the governor should have acquiesced to the premier’s request for early elections. Section 84(2) of the Cayman Islands Constitution says “the Governor, acting after consultation with the Premier, may at any time, by proclamation, dissolve the [Parliament]”. Governor Martyn Roper took to social media Wednesday night to defend his decision. Responding to multiple comments criticising the move, Roper said he had sought legal advice and the only option was to accept the request. “This is a matter for elected politicians,” Roper said. “Only in very exceptional circumstances, which do not exist, could I have refused the request.” Following the announcement, McLean revealed he has had “numerous phone calls” with potential candidates and sitting MPs and “no one is pleased with it”. Meanwhile, Miller told The Compass his Cayman Islands People’s Party “will not be in a position to ﬁ eld enough candidates to form a government”. Parliament's Chamber will remain empty until at least April. - Photo: Taneos Ramsay “This decision is made on a false proposition that dissolving Parliament will force the Speaker to vacate his seat. The Speaker remains in position like the rest of us until he is replaced by the new Parliament. This is simply bad for Cayman.” Ezzard Miller, North Side MP North Side MP “It is quite disgusting that this premier would put the people on trial, as opposed to making the speaker pay for his indiscretions.” Arden McLean, Opposition Leader and East End MP See the full 10 Feb. episode of The Resh Hour on caymancompass.com McLean and Miller: Early elections ‘disgusting’, ‘terrible’ cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021 5RESHMA RAGOONATH rragoonath@compassmedia.ky Premier Alden McLaughlin consulted with Governor Martyn Roper to dissolve Parliament, triggering a 14 April election, rather than the originally announced 26 May date. With Cayman’s general election now set for six weeks earlier than expected, candidates are beginning their race to capture one of the 19 seats up for grabs in Parliament. In this explainer, we look at how this unfolded and what happens next as Cayman votes in 2021. Why did the premier call early elections? With public pressure mounting on the premier to take action against House Speaker McKeeva Bush, he opted to call early elections, averting the need to call a sitting of Parliament to debate a motion of no conﬁ dence in the Speaker and efforts to remove the West Bay West MP from his post. How was the governor able to dissolve Parliament? Under Section 84(2) of the Cayman Islands Constitution, the governor, acting after consultation with the premier, may at any time dissolve the Parliament. Can the Governor refuse to dissolve Parliament? Only under exceptional circumstances can a governor refuse a premier’s request to dissolve Parliament. Roper, in response to a post on his Facebook page on 10 Feb., afﬁ rmed this, saying, “the legal advice I received is that only in the most exceptional circumstances – which do not exist – could I refuse the request. This decision is entirely the responsibility of elected politicians. The public can now have their say in the election.” Can a dissolved Parliament be recalled? Yes, under Section 85 of the Cayman Islands Constitution. The provision states that “If, between a dissolution of the Parliament and the date on which the next ensuing general election is held, a matter arises of a nature and urgency which in the opinion of the Governor makes it necessary for the Assembly to be recalled, the Governor may, acting after consultation with the Premier, summon the Parliament that has been dissolved and that Parliament shall thereupon be deemed (except for the purposes of section 86(1)) not to have been dissolved, but shall be deemed (except as aforesaid) to be dissolved on the date on which the next ensuing general election is held.” What happens now that elections have been announced? The ofﬁ cial process to make way for the polls commences with the dissolution of Parliament and issuing of the proclamation declaring the general election, both of which happens on 14 Feb. Both acts are done by the governor and published by government notice. Following this, the governor then issues writs. What is issuing of writs? Writs are the documents the governor issues to the returning ofﬁ cers, commanding them to conduct an election in accordance with Section 28(2) of the Elections Law (2017 Revision). Returning ofﬁ cers are responsible for the organisation and conduct of elections in their respective districts. What happens to these writs? These writs, which are a form of record, will be returned to the governor following the election, with the name of the candidate who has been elected to serve in that electoral district. When is Nomination Day? 1 March. When will I know who is running in my constituency? The ofﬁ cial candidates will be announced after nominations have been ﬁ led and a candidate’s nomination is accepted. Will all newly registered voters be allowed to vote on 14 April? All voters who are afﬁ rmed in the 1 April Register of Electors will be allowed to vote in the general election. Have the names on the revised list of electors been afﬁ rmed? No. The Elections Ofﬁ ce is still in the process of ﬁ nalising that list. The deadline to submit claims and objections is 25 Feb. Is 14 April going to be a public holiday? Yes. The Public Holidays Act (2007) sets out that General Election Polling Day will be a public holiday. Therefore, 14 April will be a public holiday. This means schools, public ofﬁ ces and many businesses will be closed. Will 26 May still be a holiday? Cabinet will have to determine whether this day will remain a holiday. Where do I vote? The Elections Ofﬁ ce will publish the ofﬁ cial list of registered polling stations, which will also be available at The Compass’ dedicated election page votecayman.com. Is postal voting allowed? Yes. Postal voting is allowed for those who will be off island. You will have to apply for a postal ballot, the forms are available on the Elections Ofﬁ ce website. What times does voting start? Polling stations typically open at 7am and close at 6pm. Can you campaign on Election Day? It is illegal to canvass on polling day. Campaign advertising, which applies to newspapers, periodicals, radio, television or any other printed or electronic form, is not allowed on Election Day. Billboards should be taken down and roadside signs removed by midnight on 13 April. Can you congregate near a polling station? The polling area is 100 yards from any building in which a polling station is located. No one is allowed to congregate within this 100-yard area, other than people who are waiting to vote or who may lawfully enter, such as candidates’ agents. Agents cannot wear T-shirts with campaign logos or a candidate’s name/ face within the polling area. Can you sell or consume alcohol on Election Day? No. The Elections Law speciﬁ es that no intoxicating liquor shall be sold, offered for sale or given away at any premises that has a licence issued under the Liquor Licensing Law. This ban applies to any electoral district in which an election is being held. Can I take my kids with me to vote? Children will not be allowed inside polling stations, so parents may have to juggle voting times or arrange babysitting. Can I take my phones/camera with me in the polling station? Cameras, cellphones or other electronic equipment are not allowed. Is my vote secret? Yes. During the hours that the polls are open, no one is allowed to seek to inﬂ uence any voter to vote for any candidate. No one is allowed to try to ascertain what candidate a voter intends to vote for or has voted for. In other words, no exit polls. ELECTION RACE BEGINS: What happens next? Dissolution of Parliament: Sunday, 14 Feb. Proclamation declaring General Elections: Sunday, 14 Feb. KEY DATES: Issuing of Writs: Monday, 15 Feb. Notice of Nominations: Monday, 22 Feb. Nomination Day: Monday, 1 March Notice of Contested Elections: Thursday, 4 March Elections Day: Wednesday, 14 April Election Writ Returned to Governor: Monday, 19 April Candidate Elections Expense Returns: Due Wednesday, 19 May Publication of Candidate Expense Summary: Saturday, 29 May cayman compass news N news FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021 6cayman compass 7 FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021Cayman Brac East Cayman Brac West & Little Cayman West Bay West George Town North George Town West George Town South George Town East George Town Central Red Bay Prospect Newlands Savannah Bodden Town West Bodden Town East North Side East End West Bay South West Bay North West Bay CentralSINGLE MEMBER ELECTORAL DISTRICTS GENERAL ELECTION POLLING LOCATION ANDREL HARRIS aharris@compassmedia.ky Come election day, people who remain isolated as part of mandatory COVID quarantine protocols may not be able to cast their votes if the Elections Office and the Public Health Department are unable to come up with a solution. “The worst-case scenario [is] anyone that is in isolation at that time, may not be able to vote because they can’t come to the polls and we can’t go to them,” said Elections Supervisor Wesley Howell Thursday on Rooster 101's morning talk show, Cayman Crosstalk. Howell said the risk of people becoming disenfranchised stems from the limitations of the Elections Act, which sets out three means for voting – in-person, mobile and postal. In-person balloting is automatically ruled out for people who are required to remain in mandatory isolation as part of the jurisdiction’s ongoing efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Howell said the legal limitations of postal ballots also rule that option out for quarantining voters. “We are only allowed by law to dispatch postal ballots for persons off island; on island, we are limited to voting on election day or via mobile voting,” Howell said. In order to change this, he said, there would have to be another sitting of Parliament before its dissolution on Sunday, 14 Feb., which is unlikely. “As of Sunday, it would not be a possibility because any of the changes to that aspect of the Elections Act would require the Parliament to be sitting and consider,” said Howell. “So, our legislation, as it is now, is what we are seeing.” The only potential option that remains is for mobile balloting, under which election officials would go to the quarantine locations, as they would do with shut- ins who are unable to attend the polling stations in person. However, even if elections officials attend the isolation locations, Howell said there is no guarantee they will be given access to the quarantined voters. “So, I will have some serious discussions with Public Health to see if that is possible,” said Howell. “If we can use,.. volunteers, at this point, who are trained in PPE (personal protective equipment) and those sorts of things” he said his staff could then see if they could get into those locations to enable people to cast their votes. “But that all depends on the Public Health aspect of this.” While it is not known how many voters will be affected this year due to quarantining, there are on average 800 people in isolation at any given time. During the 2017 elections, the winning candidates in some districts were determined by as few as 50 votes. For this reason, Howell said, his team is trying to find a solution. “We are concerned about people exercising their franchise, but we have to operate within the confines of the law,” he said. But with no solution in sight Howell is urging people to be mindful when travelling on or about election day. “I would caution folks especially when it comes to April 14, if you don’t need to travel don’t be travelling at that point [or] you would be forcing yourself into isolation or quarantine,” he said. Additional COIVD-19 implications for elections In order to comply with the various COVID-suppression regulations, Howell said his team have implemented several safeguards ahead of the elections, that would be in place on the day. “It is going to be the biggest turn-out” in terms of the number of people since Cayman has been in lockdown, he said. ‘We are procuring the three-layer surgical mask for folks who will show up on that day with no mask. So, [we’ll] just ask them to wear that for everybody’s safety,” Howell added. In order to comply with the current restrictions on public gathering, Howell said they are trying to get as many people as they can to vote before election day, which could only be done through mobile voting. “We have also added staff members in relation to what we call field officers – that’s the first person that checks the list when you enter the polling station area.” Howell said, similar to previous general elections, this one will see a limited number of people at each station counting the ballots. “Typically, the count of staff is [in] quite a sterile environment,” he said. “So, we have our team which is about three persons, we have an agent or two for each candidate. So, there is not more than 10, 12 persons in there.” Quarantined electors may miss out on voting 1. Electors who are unable, or likely to be unable, to go in person to a polling station. These include persons in the hospital, rest homes, the elderly, the visually-impaired or other persons with a physical disability. In these cases, a mobile team will visit the elector’s home or residence. 2. Electors who are unable to go in person to the polling station because of the general nature of their occupation, service or employment. This includes all volunteers working Election Day. In these cases, the elector should go to the fixed mobile voting location. Mobile voting aims to assist two particular groups of people with the voting process: Supervisor of Elections Wesley Howell. cayman compass 8 news N news FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021Course: Starts and ends at Ristorante Pappagallo, Conch Point Road, West Bay. Start Time: 6:30 a.m. (Walkers) and 6:45 a.m. (Runners). Check-in time starts at 5:30 a.m. (to receive numbers (all participants) and race chips (for runners). Fee: CI$15 Adults and CI$10 Youth (Under 17). Registration: 1) Register online at www.racecaribbean.net. 2) Download the PDF form from CUC’s website at www.cuc-cayman.com (click on “Events” under the “About Us” tab on the Home Page). Complete, scan and e-mail the form to communications@cuc.ky 3) Forms can also be dropped-oﬀ and payments made by cash or cheque (payable to CUC) at CUC’s Administration Building on North Sound Road from Monday, March 1 and Friday, March 5 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Participants who register online can also collect their t-shirts and ‘power’ bag from CUC on those three days in March. Note: There will be no registration on the day of the event. Amenities: First 250 participants will receive a t-shirt (sizes are not guaranteed) and all participants will receive a participation medal and ‘power’ bag following the event. Light refreshments will be provided and trophies for the fastest and second fastest finishers in the Adult and Youth (Under 17) divisions will be presented at the end of the event. Contacts: CUC’s Pat Bynoe-Clarke (914-1107) and Neil Murray (914-1110) or e-mail communications@cuc.ky or the CIAA’s Cydonie Mothersill (928-2726) and Kenrick Williams (925-1943). Saturday, March 6, 2021 CUC is taking to the streets again in West Bay on Saturday, March 6, 2021 for a fun run and walk as we raise money for the Sunrise Adult Training Centre and the Cayman Islands Athletic Association (CIAA). Everyone is welcome to join us. Starts and ends at Ristorante Papagallo , Conch Point Road, West Bay Premier Alden McLaughlin’s triggering of early elections has taken many by surprise. On 11 Feb., Cayman Compass photographer Alvaro Serey set out to get the community’s reaction to the new 14 April election date. Participants were asked what they thought about the general election being moved up from 26 May: People’s poll 1 Caroline Kirk – I think it was very sudden and I’m not sure it gives the Opposition enough time to educate the public on what they stand for. I don’t think it’s a good idea. 2 Chivona Amos – I was just kind of concerned as to why they moved it a month earlier. I’m hoping that people still go out and vote because our voice is what matters. So I really hope people do still go out to vote. I’m going to go out and vote still. 3 Kavron Reed – It seems like an interesting strategic move from the PPM side or the coalition government, rather. I think, generally speaking, from that political perspective, it was an interesting move, one that may result in some backlash, especially from those who are looking to see McKeeva removed... Ultimately, from most voters’ perspective, it’s back in the public’s hands. So whether it’s May or whether it’s April, we’re here to vote. So I’m fine with it. 4 Willie Cruz – They probably just want to be able to get that done ahead of time so when we do open up, they’re more focussed on being able to react to whatever happens at that moment. So it’s probably a good thing in my opinion. 5 Leonora Phillips – I think it’s a little too early because none of the candidates... I haven’t been hearing any of them. So we need more time to make up our minds. cayman compass 9 FRIDAY, 12 FEBRUARY 2021Next >