MLAs should not ignore vote
(CNS): The committee members of the one man, one vote campaign (OMOV) have warned all elected officials not to ignore the result of the national referendum on Wednesday as the people have put them all on notice. The majority ‘yes’ vote did not carry because of the government’s decision to require 50% plus 1 of the entire electorate and not a majority of the turnout, so the result will not change the voting system, the OMOV members said, but maintained that voters do want change. Al Suckoo told CNS that the result was a very clear victory because “in order to participate in democracy, voters have to turn up” and those that did clearly wanted change.
Speaking in the wake of the result that delivered a 2-1 majority in favour of single member constituencies, Johan Moxam and Al Suckoo, both members of the OMOV Committee, pointed to the message that the voters had delivered. Regardless of the artificial requirements placed on the result, it is a warning to everyone in office that the people are not satisfied with the “same old, same old”, the men said.
Claiming the moral victory, the grassroots campaign, which was run on a shoestring budget in stark contrast to the massive UDP government machinery and $100,000 ‘no’ campaign, proved that hard work and commitment to a genuine cause can pay off, Suckoo said, given the result, which showed the OMOV had won the overwhelming majority of the popular vote. Although the campaign had received PPM support, he pointed out that it was an independent movement.
Grateful to all those who came out to the polls as well as the hardworking volunteers on the elections team, Moxam and Suckoo said they were both proud of what had been accomplished by the OMOV group of concerned citizens.
Suckoo said he had no doubt at all that had the OMOV campaign been able to carry on educating the public until November, as intended by the non-partisan grassroots movement that circulated the petition, the result would easily have reached the high bar of 50% of the electorate required for a people-initiated referendum.
However, this vote was a government sponsored ballot, which should have carried with a simple majority. Nevertheless, both Suckoo and Moxam said the result still carried a clear message that local politics could not return to business as usual.
“No elected official can ignore the wishes of the voting public,” Moxam stated. “Cayman is ready to move away from the current style of politics and rhetoric.” The campaign had in the end, he said, been taken over by party politics, which was exactly what the people did not want and why many of them refrained from voting.
Suckoo agreed that the campaign had become very personal in part, with attacks being made, especially by the premier on supporters of the movement.
During the UDP rallies against the OMOV position, Bush spent a considerable amount of time attacking and criticising the individual players and personalities rather than explaining his opposition to the system that they were promoting.
“We need to raise our expectations of our political representatives,” Moxam said. “We need leaders who comprehend the important issues, who are competent, respectful and prepared to act in the best interest of the voting public and the Cayman Islands.”
Moxam said it was inaccurate for the premier to assume that those who did not vote were voting 'no' to the referendum question, and said the quality of the current representation was the real problem. “I believe there was voter apathy, with voters being tired of the immaturity and vitriol in the current political rhetoric, but those that did go to the polls showed they were tired of the same old, same old and are demanding a better standard of representation.”
He spoke of the need for politicians with vision who wanted to engage in proper discussion and debate on the key issues of the day and find collective solutions for the problems facing the Cayman Islands.
“The numbers should shake up the government to take stock,” Moxam added as he pointed to the 5,631 votes in favour of SMCs.
Category: Politics
can't we all get along … ezzy, mac, and aldy under a canopy at camana bay? (:))>)
The UK will make us all get along soon and the sooner the better if we cannot do what is right in the Cayman Islands.
What are the benchmarks for being elected a MLA? Is it 50percent plus 1 of the voters in your district? Or is it just a majority of the voters that turn out to vote?
ALso, if 20percent automatically do not show up to vote, that is we only normally get an 80percent turnout during general election voting, what does that mean for the candidates seeking re-election to the Leg Assembly? Should the MLAs seeking re-election automatically count those 20percent that do not come out to vote as an automatic vote for them?
As far as I am concern the "YES" has won. The no voters has lost. They did not exercise their democratic rights. If the UDP people thinks that because they did not voted means they voted "No" they are wrong. The no voters could also means they voted "YES" too. Stop taking the no voters for granted. Most of the young people I have spoken to, are fed up with McKeeva and the UDP'er all they are saying is that they are NOT for them. They, meaning the UDP, Politicians,only cares about themselves and filling their own pockets with illigal monies. So….I warn the UDP people, don't take those no voters for granted. Those no voters could jolly well be their downfall in May 2013.
Is anybody listening to Rooster 101.9 this morning? Just listen to Rolston and Ellio especially, talking about Divisiveness. The UDP are the most critical of this and blames Alden and the PPM, but they are the biggest contributers to Divisieness on these Islands. They have colour coded their team, they go out and publicly advertise and instruct the people to vote "no" to the referendum, whilst using the people's money. They gets up on the platforms and do character assasination on anyone who rebutts them, opposes them or just for simply not being one of them. They hands out money to their hangons like they are running a Welfare State to their supporters and their friends and they do not promote equality Nationwide. If they did, they would channel the monies received from our Crown land sales, through the proper channels. They are always the argumentative representatives of the people and all they do is just point fingers…Then I ask, Who promotes divisiveness on these Islands? No other than the UDP members. If the Cap fit…Let them wear it!
Maybe they'll change their minds about 'diviseveness' when they hear their beloved leader is now suddenly all out for OMOV. Please go back on Rooster and rant your backsides off about THAT you raving lunatics.
They should ignore it, because of all registered voters (15000), only 5000 from 8000 that showed any interest, voted Yes.
two thumbs up!
…being a 65% majority.
It is generally accepted that when you go to the polls to vote your voice is heard, your opinion is counted. If you do not go to the polls and vote you are nothing, and you deserve the same, nothing. Voting is a right and a responsibility of a citizen. If this referendum was held in the USA the motion would have passed as they reward the voters that vote. If you are a registered voter and did not vote, you will get yours one day and when you go to blame someone look in the mirror! How you vote doesn't matter, it is that you voted.
We need leaders who understand more than how to get money out of a Vegas slot machine and how to get the people to pay for a "free" ride on a private jet.
It wll never be known just what the results would have been, if there had been a better turn out. However, there were too many voters off the island, who could not take the time and make an effort to complete the application to be treated as an absentee elector.
The campaign by the UDP members was also very influencing, none so much more than the add for $10,000 for housing assistance!
There is a lot of conclusions we can gather from this vote, but none clearer than to be treated as an absentee elector, there needs to be a smoohter procedure, while mainting the high standards and integrity required.
The Premier and his government should be made to disclose the exact amount of the peoples' money that was used to campaign against the Referendum brought by the government which opposed it! Yes, kind of hard to undersand but it is true. The UDP Government of the Cayman Islands called for a Referendum and then seemingly paid a massive amount of money from public funds to oppose the very same Referendum that they brought. Incredible aint it? Someone needs to give an account for those payments, the exact amount paid out and who authorised shuch payments. We the people need to know!
Those that did not vote and work Should have that days salary deducted from their salary. I work very hard to keep my business afloat and was ordered by this government that I must give employees the day off TO vote.
Not intending to vote is nothing but bone idle theft!
The same ones that never bothered to get off their ass are the ones that bitch about the system.