Quickly and responsibly

| 11/12/2012

The recent allegations relating to the Cayman Islands premier represents a major national crisis for the country's international reputation. Due process must be carried out, but this must occur quickly and not at the same speed as the previous investigations. The system of justice is just one of many institutions in the country and the way that it works must absolutely recognise the overall implications for the Cayman Islands economy and reputation when dealing with such high profile cases.

This country simply cannot afford a process that now drags on for another 6 to 12 months or, worse, years and all involved should work to apply the necessary resources to this case as it is very clearly in the country's interest to do so.

To ignore the wider implications of this case is to risk setting the country back several years as international investors and clients, including those from the global financial services industry, reconsider the Cayman Islands brand.

As bad luck would have it, the Cayman Islands are now perfectly placed to be perceived in the same light as Turks and Caicos, especially given the recent arrest of that jurisdiction's former premier, and we must act quickly now as a community to wrestle Cayman from this situation.

Political opponents: you will have your day to use this development against Mr Bush, but for the country's sake avoid adding fuel to the fire so that your country does not suffer the worst economic setback it has ever had in its history. Because make no mistake, everything is perfectly poised for that to happen if we do not act quickly and responsibly on this one.

 

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Category: Viewpoint

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  1. needlecase says:

    Cayman, we should be proudthat we have a Watchdog!

    Negative image on us?!  I beg to differ!  It shows to the world that we don't mess around!  We nip corruption in the bud!  Even in Jamaica our neighbor where corruption is rampant, they are saying such words –

    "The premier is like a Prime Minister, can you ever see any police officer in Jamaica arresting ANY Jamaican Prime Minister, no never!!  Jamaica listen and learn from our smaller Caribbean Island, they are putting us to shame in every respect of good governance. I hear no demonstration in Cayman !!"  – See Jamaican Gleaner –  http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20121212/lead/lead1.html

    It shows to the world that we have a watchdog that just doesnt remain silent  – the dog barks and the dog bites… and that is good in a way because if Cayman was independent from having such a watchdog, WHO would do the barking and biting… so many countries admire us today because they don't have such a dog. Their leaders are corrupt and there is no overseering power to hold them accountable for their actions and words.

    Let's say that the UK took us over like TCI or remain silent and did nothing, it would show more of a bad image to us. But something was done!  An arrest was made!  Yes, he is not charge yet and we shouldn't go off judging, but in CAYMAN LET IT BE KNOWN, THERE IS A PROCESS AT WORK HERE!  MAY OTHERS ENVY US FOR THIS!

    Peace 🙂

  2. Anon says:

    101 please tread carefully with this one. I always love reading your viewpoints but remember that no one has been charged yet. And for all we know we could easily see no charges being laid. So while we must move quickly we also need to move carefully to ensure everyone is treated fairly. Something does not quite add up here. By the way i am not one of those fco conspriacy people and for the record i have no time for mckeeva and desparately want to see him go. But im just hoping these idiots have not created anothere tempura type situation fornus which could cause us taxpayers money.

  3. Fco blogger says:

    I predict. This will actually drag on very nicely and the uk will step in as they did in turks. Ppm and other mlas should prevent this by forcing noconfidence and maybe have early elections. But im guessing those idiots in udp will blick that effort

  4. Anonymous says:

    101 ok but you missing the part about him stepping down quickly also. Both things must done together and maybe we wont suffer as much ambarassment although i think we way past that by today

  5. cayman says:

    justice does need to move fast on this one but also his udp colleagues need to drop him like a hot potatoe even faster like today!

    what a shambles my country is in.

  6. Anonymous says:

    the way the politics is set up there is no way this will not take at least 2 years to get through. not good for cayman but then again what is these days…

  7. anon says:

    good point but way way too late. This will not move quickly  it wil get dragged through ther mud etc for a long time and yes we will have a nice black eye and we deserve it.

  8. Anonymous says:

    The only way to honestly escape the criticisms coming up would have been to NOT vote in and keep this idiot in office afterall that he has done to show Cayman and the rest of the world just how incompetent XXXX he is.  Now the Cayman islands must bear the responsibility for the actions of Caymans voters.  The world once again watches to see just what "honorable" means in Grand Cayman.  You can dress it up all you want but it is what it is.  If Cayman does not like being shown its own face it should change itself.

  9. Anonymous says:

    I don't agree with the author. I think this represents and major improvement in our overseas reputation. For years we've been ruled by an incompetent, ranting bully who thought he was accountable to no-one. Now the rule of law has been re-established, XXXXX. The message it sends is that we have an independent police force and judiciary and they will uphold the rule of law even if it means arresting a sitting premier. The message it sends is that we are not a banana republic and that kind of behaviour won't be tolerated. The short-term embarassment is nothing compared to the long term damage McKeeva would have caused.

    • Anonymous says:

      I hope so but another way to look at it is that  you could have said the exact same thing after the First Cayman fiasco, yet here we are again..

    • R.U. Kidden says:

      "The short-term embarassment is nothing compared to the long term damage McKeeva would have caused."

      Don't you mean HAS caused?

  10. Anonymous says:

    What exactly does the Author propose for McKeevas opponents to do to ” not add fuel to the fire ” ?

    • Anonymouse Man says:

      101 do you think we should just pretend that all is well? Or should we ask him to resign?

  11. Anonymous says:

    You should be calling on his political colleagues to force his resignation or remove him. That would help our reputation immensely.  

    • Anonymous says:

      I agree.  I realise that his colleagues in this dictatorship of a government that we have auffered with for the past 3 years and 7 months.  I recall years ago when the First Cayman Bank scandal hit the country and overseas, the Premier was in government at that time and was embroiled in the scandal.  He was told by his supporters that he should resign from the government and by so doing, he would be assured of re-election the next time around.  He did as was suggested by his supporters and when the next election rolled around he went in with a landslide in West Bay.  I was living and voting in West Bay at that time and I supported him strongly.  He needs to remember those times and make the decision to step down now.  He does not act like the man that I supported at that time and to say that I am disappointed is saying the least.

      • Scary says:

        Hmmmm….so you voted him back in after the scandal back then and now you are asking him to stand down so you can support him again?

        people like you are xxxx scary. I guess this is the west bay mentality?