‘Voters have spoken’

| 21/07/2012

alden 17 (240x300).jpg(CNS): Both the leader of the opposition and the independent member for North Side have called on the premier to listen to the people and implement one man, one vote in single member constituencies for the 2013 election. Releasing statements on Friday evening in response to the premier’s comments on Thursday regarding a new committee to examine the voting system, both men said the people had already indicated what they wanted. Alden McLaughlin said a significant majority of voters made it plain that they want single member constituencies and the premier should respect the voice of the people.

“We do not need more discussions, we do not need more committees, we do not need more campaigning or another referendum. All that is required is a simple amendment to the Elections Law,” said the opposition leader in response to the premier’s latest idea of introducing nine double-member constituencies.

Miller said the premier had taken an irrational quantum leap when he assumed that all those registered voters who did not come to the polls would have voted 'no'. 

“In North Side, I have been given several reasons by registered voters as to why they did not turn up to the polls,” he said in a radio broadcast on Friday evening. “These include: sick at home, sick in hospital, off island, never votes for personal or religious reasons, too drunk at the party to vote, could not decide how to vote. Not a single person gave the reason that their not voting would count as a 'no' vote."

Miller said that, unlike the premier, he had some difficulty in knowing that the dead would vote 'no' as the dead don't speak to him.

McLaughlin too took issue with the premier’s position that those who did not come to the polls should be considered 'no' votes. He said it was “disingenuous and grossly misleading” for the premier to claim the majority of people voted 'no'.

“In truth and in fact the 'yes' votes outstripped the 'no' votes by 2 to 1," McLaughlin said. “The reality is that if the premier had not manipulated the referendum process by creating an artificially high bar of 50% + 1 of registered voters instead of 50% +1 of votes cast, the referendum would have succeeded.” 

The opposition leader said the premier’s dismissal of the wishes of 65% of voters in the referendum demonstrated the "absolute disregard and utter contempt” the UDP administration had for the people and how out of touch government was.

See both statements below. Read CNS Monday for more on the opposition's position regarding the referendum and the future of Cayman’s voting system.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    Let's put politics aside for now and apply some commonsense.

    I know of several people that went with their voters ID to vote and were not

    allowed because their name was,   REMOVED   from the voters list,

    and others on arrival found a line marked through their name indicating they had already voted.

    Those people, believe me were going to vote YES.

    The same could probably be said for some NO voters.

    The average voter turnout for elections are 75%

    Registered voters on referandom day = 15,161 minus 25% = 11,371.

    It is therefore fair to say that if this were an election 11, 371 voters would have

    turned up at the poles to vote.

    It is also fair to say that NO ONE CAN ACCURATLY SAY, that  they know

    how ALL the people not voting on referandom day was going to vote.

    Now those that voted 2 out of every 3 voted yes, therefore  66% voted yes.

    Now lets assume that based on the voters results, those people not voting,

    2/3, two thirds would have voted yes. = a win for yes voters. 

    Now lets do Rol, Rol thing.

    Lets be fair, lets be really, really  fair  and assume

    that those that did not vote were split down the middle, 50% yes, 50% No

    Tally, still a big Yes win.

     Now lets say those NOT  voting from the 11,371 who would have normally voted in

    an election, voted 66% yes  and  34% no,  still a Yes win,   "SO"  The I's have it. Yes, Yes.

  2. Anonymous says:

    Yeah Alden everyone spoke except you. Where the hell were you during this campaign anyway ? Sitting on the fence again waiting on the result ? Where was your 30 second ad suporting the initiative ? Its like the Chuckster said on the Rooster this morning the PPM's position on the issue of OMOV is very unclear. Your silence during the campaign only served to cause people to question whether the PPM was truly for this initiative. You are the leader Alden and people expect you to speak out. Arden speaking out does not mean that what he has to say is the official PPM position. You my friend need to make a decision – Lead, Follow or Get to hell out of the way !!!

     

    • MY! oh MY! says:

      Maybe Alden & Mac  should both step down! Nobody would miss either of them.

  3. Anonymous says:

    From what I recall, the registered electorate were 1) given access to postal ballots, 2) hit with a barrage of publicity from both sides in the build up to the vote and 3) given a day off to vote.  If the electorate are that lazy or ill-informed that they still could not be bothered to vote yes in the numbers required to pass, then tough luck.

    I do agree that the votes not cast are not "No" votes, but to the same degree, they are not "Yes", they are rather the realisation that you have a lot of lazy and apathetic people out there.  And, quite frankly, you have the ultimate decision you all deserve.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Having a referedum with anything other than 50% of eligible voters plus 1 could be dangerous.

    If the threshold is left to the government of the day, you could get a situation where a referendum is called hastily by a sitting government, the people dont have time to consider the issue, the government spends alot to convince their supporters to come out and vote and as a result something dreadful is passed as a result of a few voters who turned out to vote.

    in my mind betta to

    1) Clean up voters list

    2) Keep threshold at 50% plus 1 of elected voters

    3) Continue to educate our people of their DUTY to vote

    This way anything so important that is before the country, we know exactly what the majority wants at any particular point in time.

     

     

  5. Anonymous says:

    UDP you will get what you gave sewed come 2013! Bless your days in office now! w-bay shallow mined people won’t help you!

  6. Anonymous says:

    okay this is how this goes:

    Majority of people knew if they did NOT come out to vote that their vote would count as a NO.
    If OMOV committee had a problem with this they should have made the petition so that the people that did not come out did not count to any vote being yes or no.

    SOOO in my conclusion, OMOV committee had to get their people out
    And not enough people came out

    This should not be blamed on the fact that so much people stayed home.. noo.. everyone was well and aware that their vote would have counted as a no..

    I repeat OMOV committee did not get enough people out and that's their lost.

    Props to them trying something new but omov just doesn't have enough advantages to our country. Our electorial system is not perfect but in my opinion its a tad bit better than omov at the moment with the size of our country in mind.

    It would have just been a waste of the country's money and solving very little.

     

    • noname says:

      UDP has to put people back to work and create jobs for thej. the UDP has to

      ignore PPM and Alden and not let them slow dow progress

       

      IGNORE ALDEN!

  7. Long Celia Foundation says:

    1) Ezzard/PPM asked for no confidence motion against Premier Bush- FAILED……2)Ezzard asked Premier Bush to step down because of corruption accusations-FAILED…….3)Ezzard asked Premier Bush to step down as minister of finance regarding budget crisis-FAILED……4)Ezzard asked Caymanians to vote yes for OMOV in letter to Caymanian Compass in regards to the lastest UDP- Dart deal-FAILED………………………………………..Ezzard can't you see that you cannot remove our Premier,wouldn't it much better to work with him like you said you would in May of 2009? Ezzard as of now please support our Premier instead of planning your next most likely to FAIL move!!

    • Anonymous says:

      19:26 I was reading some proposals that the premier was putting forward after the OMOV election, which I think could work, besides other persons have expressed they think the same.  I can understand that there is nothing the Premier will do that will be satisfactory to Mr Miller.   I believe even Alden is getting tired of it all now.

      However as I was saying  I think it is less expensive to devide the districts into two than into four.   Because why should not each division have an MLA office to run.    There will have to be four MLA Offices in Bodden Town and extras in Gorge Town and west Bay. 

      Come on Ezzard aits time you agree on something.  We need to move on.

      • Anonymous says:

        so if 18 independents get elected under the present system, wouldn't  they all qualify for MLA offices? except the Cabinet ministers of course

    • anonymous says:

      ThePremier works with People with big money;   Dart,  CHEC  etc.  NOt other politicians he want yes men under him to do his bidding not people to share ideas with.

      • UDP supporter says:

        It is these people with BIG MONEY that will help us get the econo-car starting. Do you want to stay in a jam or do you want to see jobs???  Stop attacking progress

  8. Office by the premier says:

    I hear ya knocking but you cant come in!!!!!

  9. Anonymous says:

    People were ill advised to "not vote" or to "not waste their time if they were going to vote 'No' ".  The 43% of registered voters that did not go to the polls could also be "yes" voters who felt things were "fixed" so what was the point.  We just can't guess what that 43% represents.  Any government official who suggests voters should not vote should be removed from office.  We would not be in this dilemma if all the electorate had voted, and made their voice heard.  Do not let anyone tell you what to do when it comes to the single most important right you have living in a democracy.  Voting is the single most important way democracy  flourishes. Unless you cast a vote based on your own personal desires and wishes you are only being a pawn in a despot's game.

  10. Anonymous says:

    I agree this hijacking fiasco by the UDP was unfair and pure politricks.

    Question is: As Alden and Wayne are seasoned attorneys, will they take this to the UK courts or will they do as usual….allow the Bully Dictator to get away with yet another act of apparent illegality?

  11. Anonymous says:

    OMG what is wrong with people. Only people in West Bay won "no" with their small margin. The other 6 districts voted "yes" , they won the referendum . Its a no brainer, did they let kirky vote or alice? Did anyone ask them why they didn't vote? Did anybody ask any of the prisoners if they voted? What about the other people like them. They must be at least 20% that can't vote. Then you had the other people that didn't show up because they abstained from voting. That what its called when you don't vote. You abstained 

  12. starfish says:

    yup… "what not broken doesn't need fixing"  the reason why the Premier has come with a new proposal of dividing the country into 9 (half of 18) is because seeing the referendum, he learns that so many people want some type of change. Hence he is looking for an equal and fair balance. A lot of people may not agree with the OMOV option but there's also a lot that do and something like this would make each district have equal representation without splitting the country into so many smaller parts. Why take the Premier's previous words out of context, and why knock down this option?  Lets go forward with this fair balanced proposal.

  13. Anonymous says:

    Come 2013 those who don't vote won't count and those who vote will show the UDP who really matters.  You won't listen now, but you sure as hell will have no choice but step down then!  Good bye UDP!

  14. Election Fixer says:

    Anyway you put it, this was the first 'fixed-election' in the history of the Cayman islands and we have officially joined the ranks of other 'third-world' countries.

    This was the first time that our leader and his government have used tax-payer funds to pay for their own political campaign.

    This was the first time that a Govt automatically cast votes for people who have died, and for those who did not vote.

    This was the first time that a Govt denied many potential voters the right to vote by calling an election on short notice so as not to give them time to register.

    This was the first time that a Govt in blatant disregard of the Constitution used a part that is meant for public initiated referendums, for their own Govt initiated referendum, so as to 'ENSURE'  it would fail.

    This is the first time that a Govt ignored the will of 65% of those who voted and declared a victory for the side with the less votes and those who did not even vote.

    This is the first time that it took only 48 hours for a Govt to double-cross their own loyal supporters by reversing position on the issues.

    This is the first time that a Govt has taken a massive amount of cash from the public coffers and given it to supporters in the form of cash to fix their homes, cash to pay their mortgages, and cash to churches. This will no doubt influence the vote of the voters in favour of the Govt in the next election, just as it has in this referendum.

    We are now officially a third world country!

    Thanks UDP!

  15. Anonymous says:

    One thing that is certain, they OMOV committee has brough the most important items to the national agenda! And if MacDinejhad is going tohold the Power Wheel after MAY 2013, that same committe will have to support him, GOD For bid!

  16. Dr N.S.Swashbuckler says:

    The Hon.W.McKeeva Bush Is Hazardous Proof!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      That's a hazardous belief that is bound to trip him up n pop he mout sooner or later. By the looks of the OMOV results it certainly already has.

  17. Anonymous says:

    There are thousands of unregistered and qualified voters who (for a variety of reasons) were excluded or not registered properly for this referendum. Thousands of intelligent ballots that will be registered and counted at the next election, you can be sure of that.

  18. Anonymous also says:

    Bottom line is: if you care you voet. If you don't care you don't vote.  Those who cared were 2 to 1 in favor. End of story.

  19. Anonymous says:

    Ignorance is bliss……Any fool that can listen to McKeeva, much less believe him has to be completely void of logic, sense and morals……I hope all you idiots have food next year to put in your new fridges…..but at this rate…….probably not.  I can't wait to say I told you so!  Hopefully you will then be thankful an intelligent majority will keep fighting for equality for all……even fool fools. 

  20. Anonymous says:

    People must be aware of the subtle threat of intimidation.  I was speaking with a "Paper" Caymanian who said all the people in her neighbourhood (mostly "Paper" Caymanians like herself), refused to go out and vote because they were worried that their faces would be marked and fearful of the possible repercussions to themselves.  So this suggests that if there wasn't this underlying fear, more people would be going out.   Hey, didn't 3,000 people get status some years ago at one fell swoop?  Maybe these are the ones that did not go out and vote.  Maybe they still don't feel accepted enough (or brave enough), to go out with born Caymanians and vote without fear. 

  21. Anonymous says:

    DEAD WRONG.  They OMOV committee had up until November to collect signatures and were making steady progress towards the 50% +1 of the electorate.   By then, more people would also have been able to register for voting.  However, your UDP realized this and were not about to let that happen, not about to give the OMOV committee enough time to gather all the signatures they needed.  So they called it months early, effectively cutting off the time for gathering signatures and allowing time for others to register in order to be able to vote.   They also picked the worse time – when most people go on vacation.  So, all the people who could not register in time because the UDP passed the law saying the referendum had to be decided in July, disenfranchised all those people who could have had time to register for the November vote.  So stop speaking BS !

  22. NeoSurvivor says:

    ReasonX, what you are saying is true, to an extent, however you should note that the errant "bar" was protested against prior to the vote, and rightfully so. 

    BUT!   That's not what is important. 

    What IS important is that the OVERWHELMING MAJORITY of voters voted "YES".    No-shows are never — in any vetted system — counted as a vote.    This was a special circumstance that was slanted to favor the UDP, and there is no other way to look at it.  

    What is also important is that the people have spoken with the only tool they have at their disposal against a broken machine — their vote — and they spoke loudly and clear.    

    I don't blame you for being alarmed.   I would be also, in your shoes.   My shoes walk the path of what is good for the country as a whole, disregarding special interest and other groups who have been sucessful thus far in influencing this administration to serve their own ends to the disregard of our country's best interest. 

    Change comin' son.    Each and every one of us can be part of the solution, or part of the problem.    Choose wisely, and think of the future of our children.  

    Peace.

  23. Peanuts says:

    The comment  by Mr. Miller, on the statement and other utterings by the Premier, shows who has the character and qualities desired for the office of Premier.

    Thank God for Ezard Miller, I have no doubt in his ability to lead us out of the mess that Bush and his crony capitalatism is leding us into. Bush's total disregard of the peoples sentiments along with his arrogance in the face of three investigations. Shows his desire to keep his hand on the money spigot.

    • Anonymous says:

      Please don't fill his head up with that crap…Ezzard as premier is the last thing we need.

  24. starfish says:

    Alden says that if you VOTE for me, I will implement the OMOV. But you must vote for me so that I can fix the economy. Yeah right.  We know too well what happened.

    • Anonymous says:

      As much as I believe Bush should go, the prospect of someone with the track record of Alden fixing the economy?!! Come on, man. The guy hasn't got a clue. His only aim was, and will ever be, to "look good" – at any expense to the public, that is. He was a disaster as a minister, and now he wants our vote to be premier? Bush needs to go, we all know, but Alden,for goodness sake?!!!!!!!!

      • Anonymous says:

        Thank you ALden and PPM for the beautiful schools and roads and a beautiful Government Administration Building that will all help to move this country and our people forward with grace for the next fifty years. Undoubtedly your efforts will one day land us an educated Government AND an educated electorate. And thank you UDP for…er…oh forget it.

  25. Anonymous says:

    LOL  OH PLEASE..  Ezzard says he has several reasons why people didn't show up to the polls like "sick at home, sick in hospital, off island, never votes for personal or religious reasons, too drunk" LOL it almost sounds like what typical caymanians say when late for work! Ezzard why not just be straight and frank with the people of these islands like you always claim to be. The 6000 to 7000 people who didn't show up was because they didn't WANT to show up!  NO CHANGE… plain and simple

    • Anonymous says:

      There is a word called 'neutrality'.  No voting means not a YES not a NO, just simply neutral.

    • SKEPTICAL says:

      More likely they were too lazy to get their backsides out of bed, or in West a bay got lost looking for the altered votingsites

  26. ReasonX says:

    I'm hearing opposition saying now that the government set the bar 7583 too high. And also I am hearing they cry about how the referendum considers a majority-bar instead of majority of voters as the determination of passage of it. I WONDER IF THEY RECALL HOW BEFORE THE REFERENDUM THEY ACCEPTED THE RULES OF THE GAME. Now that they lost the game, it is all a bag of excuses and how government FORCE them and all whole list of attacks. Pure Bull!  You guys knew too well what you were getting yourselves into! According to the rules, you lost and can't take it. :o)

    • SKEPTICAL says:

      Assuming you have the capacity to understand them, read Sections 69 &70 of the Constitution, and more particularly the Review article by Aristophones Duckpond – you may then have some idea of how the “majority” should have been determined. However, you are probably happier just living in ignorance.

    • Anonymous says:

      While Rome burns Nero plays……… play Caymanians, play while the Cayman Islands burn. Do you see and know what is happening look at what is happening in our financial industry, in our society.   We are not even able to present a balanced budget to the UK yet we sit around and talk foolishness about the OMOV.  It's over get back to the real issues of this country.  Somebody please we are drowning and dying here!  Since our local politician refuse to tackle the problem at hand the UK will and I know none of us will like it then but like TCI we will have to live with it and I know we don't want to have to live with it.  Move on people let us fix the mess that we are in and stop blaming one political party or the other.  At the end of the day we are all Caymanians and those of us with no where else to go will have to stay irrespective which party is in power.  So let us put asise our differences and work towards the good of this our beloved isle Cayman.

  27. Thunder Storm says:

    BOOMSHELL………….The OMOV Referendum initiated by the Govt is UNCONSTITUTIONAL as it falls outside of the 2009 Constitution.

    There is NO LAW passed and enacted for the Govt to bring such a Referendum.   Read it for yourself – see excerpt for the 2009 Constitution!!

    The 2009 Constitution DOES NOT call for a "50+1" results in order for the Referendum to be binding upon the Govt.

    In fact, it DOES NOT give the Govt any power to dictate any specific amount or set barriers for the Electorate.

    I strongly believe that we have every cause to take our YES results to the UK Parliament since the Govt is refusing to accept the majority vote of YES.

    69. A law enacted by the Legislature may make provision to hold a referendum amongst persons
    registered as electors in accordance with section 90, on a matter or matters of national importance,
    40
    when so resolved by the majority of the elected members of the Assembly; but the question of
    whether the Cayman Islands should seek any amendment to this Constitution that may result in
    their independence shall be deemed to be a matter of national importance.

    Under Sections 90, 91 & 92 which speaks to persons who are or are not qualified to vote, can the Election Office please confirm if the Electorate Register used in the OMOV Referendum was amended to remove all deceased persons, and all appropriate person with mental illness, and all persons of unsound mind, and all persons serving a prison term of twelve months or greater, whether they are incarcerated locally or off the island.

    If these persons were not removed from the Electorate Register, then the percentage of the majority vote of YES is even more GREATER, MORE SIGNIFICANT!!!

    • Anonymous says:

      There is a Law enacted – the 2012 Referendun Law – it is on the gazette website if you want to read it. It is in that Law, passed in the LA, where the 50% plus one was set, the Constitution requires a Law, and such a Law was enacted. I tried to put the link earlier but the comment would not work, (said it triggered the spam filter, maybe CNS could post it?) The Constitution sets the 50% plus one vote for a people initiated referendum, so if the petition had been handed in and a referendum had been called because of it, then the bar would have been 50% plus one because of Section 70 pf the Constitution, so although the gov did not need to set the bar that high, because not people initiated, they chose to do so, and passed the required law to make it so. However any gov who ignores the majority of voters who did vote yes does so at its peril, whatever is said this is a result that cannot be ignored.

    • Anonymous says:

      Here we go again…Let this $hit die please!!

    • Anonymous says:

      Asa a supporter of OMOV I would like to be able to agree with you but I am afraid I cannot. The govt. did pass a Referenum Law in May and the referendum including the required majority was constitutional in so far as s 69 is silent on the point.

  28. Anonymous says:

    About 1/3 of all registered voters voted Yes, that should tell you something. Hello???? That means 2/3 of the people stayed home and gave a statement:  continue with the course – do not change!  I wonder now what PPM plans are. So far they have not brought any solutions to the table when it comes to our economy.

    • Anonymous says:

      If that is correct why is McKeeva proposing another voting system? Is he deliberately ignoring the wishes of 2/3 of the electorate who according to you wanted no change? What does that tell you about your leader?

  29. Anonymous says:

    I voted No and I see we won! Now you critics lets get back to whats really important – jobs and the economy. Ezzard, Enough of your foolish distractions! Stop attacking Dart and investors that could help jump start the economy!

  30. Anonymous says:

    Voters have spoken.  A man with a 5th grade edumacation has interpreted.  Everyone with a higher education will continue to pay, and pay, and pay.

  31. Truth says:

    The last sentence said it all.  The fact that a man of this low moral fiber was put in charge and still is in charge says a lot about the mentality of the Caymanian people as a whole. A good education is the answer to the problems in Caymans future. Next leadership should make it a priority.

  32. WestBayer says:

    Both opposition members are correct! I have often said, if 80% of the voters turns out for the general elections and voted, the 20% that did not turn out to vote are not considered, then what equates to the ones who did not turned out on July 18th , should they be considered "NO" voters? No one knows their story why they did not come out, so we should not assume that they would had voted "NO".  They could also be considered that they  would had voted "YES" too.  They just did not show up and should be considered as absentee voters and that is just it.  The 65% Yes voters vs the 35% No voters should be a clear victory for the "YES".  You cannot see it any other way. Simple!! The length these politicians would go not to concede a defeat.  My God I ask you for a Divine intervention to this situation.

  33. Anonymous says:

    Enough Stupidity.

     

    Were the rules of this vote not perfectly clear to everyone? Did they really all miss the "no vote = No" condition of the referendum? That the minority majority voted Yes does not have any bearing. The referendum did not pass! The matter is over and done.

     

    Can we please move on to something here in the present, preferably something important that will positively impact Cayman?

     

    Yea, I know that in reality, we'll argue back and forth over this irrelevant subject for the next few weeks and continue to get absolutely nothing useful done.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ultimately, the people’s petition which triggered the UDP anchored referendum question was all about finding a solution to the autocratic parliamentary situation we have and preventing it from happening again. “One who rules by himself” cannot serve a democracy, only willing subjects and themselves. As it was for the Greeks and Rome, it is for us now. Anyone off the crackpipe with their eyes open can see this.

    • AsISeeIt says:

      "Were the rules of this vote not perfectly clear to everyone?"

      It was clear to me that McKeeva, fearing a true "people's initiated referendum" , stepped in to undermine the process.

      He chose the wording of the question, to make it read that you were giving something away.

      He chose to hold it so that qualified but unregistered person had no time to register to vote.

      He chose to hold it without time for proper public education (his words, not mine).

      He chose to hold it when the middle class voters were off-island on vacation.

      He chose such a high bar, that he had no fear it would pass.

      He used the peoples money to run a blatant fearmongering campaign against the yes vote.

      Finally, he made it a public holiday. A cynical, but successful demonstration that Caymanians are (typically) so apathetic that they would use the opportunity to have a holiday, go fishing, go to Miami etc. rather than vote.

      These are the things he did in full view of the public; I shudder to think of the behind-the-scenes manipulation, bribery, lying, intimidation etc. that might also have occured, were he not such an "Honourable" person.

      Yes, the rules were clear to me; he cheated and won a rigged contest!

      "Yea, I know that in reality, we'll argue back and forth over this irrelevant subject for the next few weeks and continue to get absolutely nothing useful done".

      When the government of a country deliberately goes against the will of the people, using all of its (the people's) resources, then I think it is worth spending a little time speaking out against it.

      AsISeeIt

       

    • Anonymous says:

      Believe it or not, there were Hundreds of people who did not understand that if they did not show up to vote that they would be counted amongst the silent NO’S. They were not quite as silent however as those many deceased persons who are still listed on our electoral list!! But, I guess you don’t want to hear this argument, do you?

  34. Kosher Nostra says:

    Really now.  I too would like to see OMOV, however it is obvious that we did not meet the goal.  ALl this complaining about high gaol setting seems to be more about feeling sorry for yourself than really anything else.

    I'm sorry too that the OMOV didn't pass, however I'm really looking at it in a different light now also.  There is soo much political movement behind it-I won't call it grass roots any more- seems to be less than organic at this point.

    Finally, if you want to change the Government- Do it!  Stop b**ching and complaining-I'm so tired of it now.  Should have voted NO!

    • Anonymous says:

      I doubt that you were ever in support of OMOV because you have all the signs of a Kool Aid drinker.

  35. durrrr says:

    What a load of crap. You can try and twist the figures any way you want, to claim moral victories or 'strong' victories or whatever, but the one undisputable fact that can be taken from the referendum is that only 37% of the electorate were in favour of the change. That is the only way the 'voters have spoken' – everything else is just speculation.

  36. Dred says:

    Simply put. If we can not get EQUALITY under UDP then we must remove them at all cost.

    May 2013.

  37. Anonymous says:

    The contempt and disrespect this despot dictator has for his people and the polarization is has created in the country during his two terms in office is disgraceful and distructive to our economy. We nee a leader who will unify the country and bring all his people together with honest, ethical behaviour and practices of high principle in that the country will respect and trust new leadership. None of this can be found in our dictator, however his day is coming to answer to a higher power for his crimes against his people whjere he will join the ranks of Magabe, Chavez, Castro, Otega, Peron, Assad and many others who will all rot in hell.

    • Kosher Nostra says:

      Have you any true idea of what Polarization is? And I mean true (not twisted and laced with political rhetoric).  Let's look at the facts.  The people voted and the country was split-just like ALL other countries where NO-ONE party truly rules 100%.  Take your head and all the driven emotion out of it and see it for what it really is! A race between to parties who happen to love the islands and want the best, but have different ways of accomplishing and setting in place what is needed.

      To add fuel to the fire at this stage is irresponsible as a citizen!

      KN

  38. Anonymous says:

    I thought that this was finished. Are we suppose to go out and vote again before election? Please let me know when and where.

  39. Anonymous says:

    The people have spoken and the OMOV initiative has not received support from the majority of registered voters. That fact is indispuatble and it is now time to move on. We should not waste the next 10 months arguing over who won and who lost.

  40. Anonymous says:

    The question is not who is winning the argument, it's who is winning the war. Come on Caymanians unite to rid our precious islands of this self-hungry, self-serving goverment of their stronghold by uniting and sending them home in May 2013 once and for all. If you feel compelled to accept their hand-outs, take the action of those that were enamoured by an old polition way back when Mrs Eric Cook-Bodden, drink'em out, eat'em out and vote'em out. NO ONE KNOWS WHO YOU VOTE FOR. Use your power and get us back to some grounded honest representation. I wish I could do this on my own but I can't, I need each and every one of you to adapt this attitude to achieve our goal.

  41. Anonymous says:

    "…called on the premier to listen…"

     

    You should know by now that the premier does not listen to anyone except himself.

     

    The simple fact is that electoral reform must now wait until after the next election.

     

    The form of the reform will, of course, depend on who wins.

  42. Anonymous says:

    just call in the uk…. this place has become one big laughing stock for the entire civilised world………..

  43. wrex says:

     

    OMG will these people ever be satisfied?  The point of the referendum was to determine what the majority of the country wanted, if we are going to bully this through anyway, what the hell is the point of having a democratic system?

    • Anonymous says:

      Thousands of eligible Caymanian voters were not given an honest chance to enumerate themselves after referendum was called; by design of the nervous autocracy who rigged the ballot question in their favor. Call that a free democracy?

  44. Anonnymous says:

    And the beat goes on! 

     

    Did I hear (or maybe read it somewhere) Ezzard say that he and Mr. McLean would request that North Side and East End be given the same special dispensation that given to Cayman Brac and Little Cayman?  Really – at least CB and LC are two separate islands.  NS and EE together does not even constitute a decent size voting district.  They should be joined, together with Breakers, as a voting constituency.

  45. Anonymous says:
    We all want to help one another, Human Beings are like that. We want to live by each others' happiness not by each others' misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this world there is room for everyone, the good earth is rich and can provide for everyone. The way of life can be free and beautiful but we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned mens' souls, has barricaded the world with hate and has goose-stepped into misery and bloodshed.
     
    We have developed speed but we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that gives abundance has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical, our intelligence… hard and unkind. We think too much and feel to little.
     
    More than machinery we need humanity, more than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities life will be violent and all will be lost.
     
    The airplane, the radio and the internet have brought us closer together, the very nature of these inventions cries out to the goodness in men, cries out for universal brotherhood for the unity of us all.
     
    Liberty must never perish! People…. we must never gives ourselves to brutes! Men who despise us, seek to enslave us and regiment our lives, tell us what to do, what to think and how to feel. We must not give ourselves to these un-natural men, machine men with machine minds and machine hearts. We are not machines! We are not cattle! We are men….and women with the love of humanity in our hearts! We don't hate, only the unloved hate.
     
    In the 17th chapter of St. Luke it is written, the Kingdom of God exists within man. Not one man or any group of men but in all men! In all of us… in the people is the power. The power to create machines, the power to create happiness, the power to make this life free and beautiful. Then in the name of democracy let us use this power and let us all UNITE! Let us work for a new world, a decent world that will give men a chance to work. That will give youth a future and in old age a security.
     
    By the promise of these things Dictators have risen to power but they lied, they do not fulfill their promise. They never will! We've all seen that dictators free themselves but they enslave the people. Let us, the people, strive to fulfill that promise. Let each of us work to free the world. To do away with national barriers, do away with greed, do away with hate and intolerance. Let us work for a world of reason, where science and progress will lead to all mens' happiness.
     
    In the name of democracy…let us all unite!!!
  46. Anonymous says:

    BREAKING NEWS!!!!!! i TOLD U GUYS LAST MONTH……Enough with the OMOV Alden and Ezzard ….the budget minutes released and u guys…….never listened 😉

    100 million surplus!!!!!!! about time CNS get some positive HEADLINES!!!!!!!!

    Later on i will declassified some more…..later on guys…Coming Soon to CNS.

    Government is working overtime to make Some Serious Cuts and get unemployment down…..Caymanians the time hascome…..Positive vibes..

     

     

     

  47. Anonymous says:

    I saw News27 and I can tell you that this issue is not going away for a while. Ezzard looked worn and tired. Our economy is sinking and these partiers from both sides will be attacking each other constantly over this matter. I have never seen Cayman so divided since we had parties. So many fractions. I am sick and tired and that is one of the reason why I stayed home. M.

  48. Bodden says:

    This is what the opposition leader is not saying:-

    There are 15191 registered and eligible voters in Cayman.

    8632 registered and eligible voters decided that the issue was important enough, and attended to the polling stations to cast their vote. But not 6559 registered and eligible voters.

    Of the 8632, the amount of 5631 registered and eligible voters voted YES.  And 3001 registered and eligible voters voted NO.

    They will say because 5631 is more than 3001, the majority of voters want CHANGE in electoral system to one man one vote. What they fail to mention is that when you are dealing with a referendum, it is not like when you are dealing with voting someone you like in the General Elections.

    A referendum comes as a yes/no closed question, which lets government know if legislating a law would be supported by more than 50% of the entire electorate. That is very important, because it is to serve in directing the government on what/how they should legislate.

    Note that the bar was set at 7582, because that is one more of 50% of the the electorate population. The rule is to ensure that government makes a law that is supported by a substantially amount of people – not any majority below the bar, because that could mean less support from the people.

    In sum, the referendum result is to serve the lawmakers so they will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a considerable amount of people behind them in their legislations.

    So majority of voters does not count in a referendum!  And there are reasons for this – see the pro and cons of referendums from the UK House of Lords –

    http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200910/ldselect/ldconst/99/9904.htm

    This is a clear fact that the victory crown really goes to 67% of the electorate that didn't show up and voted NO, and that the opposition should SHUT UP and accept defeat. Majority of those who vote dont' count in a referendum. If it was General Elections that would have been a different case.

    • Anonymous says:

      You are correct however, we do not know the exact reason that the 67% did not show. If the referendum date was further off which was the actual wish of the OMOV team then the 67% may have come out, and the no show figure would be significantly reduced. In my opinion you are foolish to look at the turn out and feel that a victory was achieved by the current administration.

      If signatures continue to be collected there is nothing to stop another referendum from happening. Seeing that 5600+ people voted yes,should be cause for concern of any political party. If more signatures are being collected and more of the registered voters are actually seen/contacted then you my friend are witnessing a change in the political structure which is coming and may not be easy to stop. This all makes sense now why the original fall date of the referendum was too soon and sidelined by the current government and  implemented in July, which by the way, by the current logic of the current administration July 2012 comes after November 2012.

      In the end we the majority vote to be ruled by a minority disconnected from the electorate and fully connected to, in my opinion some foreign bank account, using the same mechanisms available in this jurisdiction to obfuscate the origin of misappropriated public funds. There are however some good politicians but few have I seen in my lifetime.

      Goodnight and Goodluck!

      • Anonymous says:

        "we do not know the exact reason that the 67% did not show".

        I think you mean 43% did not show up. 57% did show up and voted. 65% of those voted yes.  

    • Anonymous says:

      Bodden it is nonsense to say that majority of voters do not count in a referendum. Referendums are typically decided all over the democratic world by majorities of the actual voters and in any event often less than than 50%+1 of the electorate. Last year the UK had a referendum on changing their voting system. Turnout was 41% with 68% voting against and 32% voting for. That was regarded as an overwhelming decision. Even the Bermuda 1995 INDEPENDENCE Referendum required the yes vote to be supported by at least 40% (NOT 50%) of those eligible to vote, and over 50% ofthose who voted. Recognise that independence is of far more significance than the voting system.

    • Anonymous says:

      There are thousands of eligible Caymanians that are not registered and were not allowed to be registered to vote because of the quarterly gazette BS. Only those already registered as of Apr 1 (from Jan cutoff) were allowed to vote. Hopefully these thousands have awoken and are registering now.

  49. Anonymous says:

    UDP has got to go!  May 2013 we will show them that only the votes cast counts.  No amount of claiming support of those who don't vote will save them.  What a disaster UDP has been.

  50. cayman stew says:

    blah blah blah blah blah… alden and ezzard need to sit down. 2/3 of the electorate was on their side. they lost and it really is hurting their egos.