Former UDP chair in GT declares as independent
(CNS): The former chairman of the George Town UDP committee has declared his intention to fight for one of the six seats in the capital at the general election in May, but the local business man will not be running on a party ticket. Stefan Baraud, who will be running as an independent candidate, went through a very public split with the UDP leader, McKeeva Bush, last year over the move by the former premier to cease negotiations with GLF Construction and bring in the Chinese developers, CHEC, on the cruise berthing project. The former chair of the Port Authority, who was ousted from the board when he disagreed with the move by his former party boss, also resigned from the UDP soon after.
Once tipped to go far in the United Democratic Party in the capital, Baraud was keen to express his independence when he told CNS Monday about his decision to run for office without the support of a political party. Baraud added that he was considering seeking endorsement from the Coaltion for Cayman, but said his independence in this election campaign was very important to him.
Fighting for one of the six seats in George Town, where there is expected to be a significant number of candidates on the ballot sheet, Baraud said he was confident that he was in touch with the people of the capital and that he could serve their needs as a successful political representative.
“Our people have been struggling for too long in this country and deserve a representative they can count on,” Baruad said, adding he was committed and determined to help. “That’s why I am running as an independent candidate for George Town.”
Baraud said he would campaign on a platform of good governance, integrity and transparency, employment, increased job opportunities and training for Caymanians, reduced cost of living and higher standards of living, technical and vocational job training, 'one man, one vote' and, not surprisingly, support for the cruise tourism sector and related infrastructure development.
With interests in a broad range of businesses in the Cayman Islands, from retail, restaurants, watersports and construction development, he said he understood the importance of issues, such as technical and vocational training for Caymanians, cruise tourism, air and seaport infrastructure.
“I believe we can refocus and rebuild our country to become a place that once again has good governance, a more efficient government and more productive private sector that will deliver more jobs, higher wages and lead to a real improvement in household income.
Pointing to the need to preserve the natural beauty of the Cayman Islands and the environment for future generations and a just and humane society with a government that supports Caymanian families in health and education, Baraud asked voters to talk to him about what was important to them.
"I welcome your support, your questions and your concerns,” he said as he asked people to visit his website, call him or stop him on the street.
Category: Politics
the GLF lawsuit was going to be directed at the Cayman Islands government and not members of the port board! What happened in the end? The country had to pay! If Woody and Stefan were left alone the dock would have been under construction. Instead the ships are sailing bye! Oh yeah do we have any lawyers that speak Cantonese! I smell a Chinese lawsuit coming. Thanks UDP!
Who were the people on the board that had a conflict and who were the people behind de scene pushing for the contract. Seems like the truth has never been told.
SMH!!
All of a sudden Independents are popping up left, right and centre as if this is a beauty contest.
The biggest single question I will ask is, where have all these people been before this upcoming election?
What demonstrable community work have you all done, before throwing your hats into this ring?
Note: Barack Obama was a community organizer before he actively got into politics. Now that is passion and it resulted in the first elected black president in United States History.
You can therefore see, representing the people should be passionate. I bet you, if any one of these guys were actively involved in the community by doing what they can, then running for office can be done without much hard campaigning and would most likely result in a victory.
I will urge these guys to look at themselves deep into the mirror and ask, what am I going to tell these people when they ask me why I am runnning? What am I going to tell these people when they ask me, what have you done for me lately? What am I going to tell these people when they ask me, who are you again?
And please do not come up with some fansy logical plan of what you are going to do, that seems to make sense and to try to baffle the people just to get in.
I wonder how many of these people would run for politics, if it was a non-paying position? That would be a show of passion and sacrifice.
Please do not make this seem like a joke. If you your heart and soul is not into helping the country move forward, and you have not demonstrated your passion, then get out.
Many of you (annonymous UDP and PPM) media watchdogs and partisans posting your negative comments here trying to instill fear and get us to question ROY, WINSTON and STEFAN's proven integrity and capability over the years, will not be able to convince us otherwise.
You will not convince he who has lost his house and the single mother that has no milk or food to bring to the table and keeps going to Social Services to get food stamps to VOTE for PPM or UDP. My CUC got disconnected recently, my water cut off while UDP and PPM's been getting rich over the years getting kickbacks, pardoning duties to their friends etcc..
First ofall because PPM were the initiatiors of the financial mess we are in, and secondly for the outrageous expenditures of the abusive, manipulative current administration.
NO MORE KICKBACKS, no more political favors to the wealthy… no more economic zone crap. No more enterprise city while Caymanians go hungry without power and water.
NO MORE OF YOUR BS. NO MORE PPM and NO MORE UDP, including those that only followed Mckeeva like sheeps with nothing to say in the last 4 years. Keep singing "follow the leader, leader, follow the leader" is time for a change.
Stefan IS UDP. That's the point. I saw nothing wrong with them up until last year. He does NOT represent change.
Oops. I meant "he say nothing…".
1 of the three has questionable integrity, plus is a person who has given away for favors.
I commend this young man for getting up and putting himself forward for office. We need to encourage other young men and women to do the same. I am no supporter of the party system and believe the country is better off without parties.
I will vote For Stefan!! It’s time to change!!!!
Time to change your mind.
Self-contradictory post.
Here is the most sensible line-up for the islands so far: McKeeva Bush, Scott, Connolly, McTaggart, Adams, Kirkconnell, Miller, Eden, Panton, Pitcarin, McLean, Scotland, McLaughlin…..Now! all you haters please see the balance in this line-up and try thinking of Cayman on a whole and not just your personal feelings. McKeeva is a go to individual with a heart the size of Texas and with proper support he is the man to lead these islands to the next level. Everyone in these islands Caymanian and non-Caymanian alike have benefited from him one way or the other. Do you believe President Obama runs the USA alone? Why is he such an effective President? I can go on and on but am sure you got my drift. By the way, it profits no one to cut off their nose to spite their face.
Please find something more constructive to do with your time. Mac cannot be part of any new administration, we have to ensure he never rises to power in this country again and all those who help him in his quest need to also be put in their place. This includes Theresa.
You have to be insane to include McKeeva in any line up and you had the nerve to put him up front. smh.
08.11-if you vote for a former chair, that is what you will get, a former chair. For a chair to be "former" it normally means it has been broken into little bits and best used for kindling wood.
In this case, the former chair could not control or influence the former premier in any way shape of form, so he must have been a pretty useless chair. Not a comfortable one, if you catch my drift. So in reality we have a bunch of broke and useless wood standing with absolutely no control of itself. What are we gonna get if he is voted in? Just another big mess and a load of splinters.
My friend, you are a brave man to be putting yourself forward. Takes courage as this will be a big fight to get this country back on track. You have heart like a lot of our educated youth today. Stay focused! GT does not want another UDP or PPM government. The country needs a cleansing.
A truely scarey thought thinking that this man may be representing us and in a seat of power.
Personally, the man has lost all credibility as I do not have any respect, or trust for someone who has ever aligned themselves with or believed in McKeeva Bush as this man has with a 12 year history and record of supporting and following the former Premier and the UDP. The people of the Cayman Islands should know that he did not standup to and take on McKeeva as it was quite the reverse. XXXX
Influence, obstruction, intervention and manipulation in business is corruption and everyone needs to remember that McKeeva placed him in the position of the Chairman of the Port to follow through on his express dictatorial wishes – he was just another UDP puppet working for the Grand puppet master Mr. Bush.
All Caymanians should know that his independent vote will only align with the UDP in a coalition government, so voting for this UDP wolf in an Independents sheeps clothing is an outright vote for the UDP.
DO NOT BE FOOLED by this charade.
And you know this how?? My friend I thought I heard it all, but man you can talk some xxxx.
He closeses a restaurant after we loose FOUR HUNDREAD THOUSAND cruise passengers and a shrinking economy and some how he's labeled as a failed business man. For those spouting BS comments do you know the other businesses he has? I would give him a vote over most of our present politicians that failed this country.
You forgot that we lost the 400,000 cruise passengers (as you say) during his watch as Port Chairman, am I right?
Tell us what other businesses he has – don't they need to be declared anyway?
How many people have gotten their house repoed by the banks, how many Caymanians out of a job. We can't have any more of these MORONS and politicians by trade to continue to run this country down.
We need fresh innovative, intelligent and EDUCATED inviduals that can keep up with the world's trending economies.
No more fool fool votes please… vote for the right candidate, that knows something, not just some Cayman slang and offer you money/help and at the end are only looking out for themselves.
No more PPM, and no more UDP. NEVER AGAIN!
i'm confused…are you supporting Stefan or against him?
By NOT putting country before self when you had the opportunity to do so has probably forever ruined your chances to getting another opportunity to do so.
Zzz another failed businessman wants to join politics
Entrepreneurs who manage to fail up may be surprised by how much support they receive for future ventures, positioning themselves as stronger, savvier operators with far less probability of failure the next time around. "Failure is a great tuition payment," says Sanford Ehrlich, director of entrepreneurship at the Entrepreneurial Management Center of San Diego State University. "Failure is not something one has to be ashamed of. And if you can recover from it, it is a badge of honor."
Sharon Roulston, Stefan Baraud, and Roy McTaggart should run as a Team, they are decent people who will work togetherto put Caymanians back to work. George Town finally has candidates to choose from. Go team Cayman!
Do not mix Stefan into that. He is not of the same calibre.
Dude, maybe the other two, but not Stefan.
Great job of making sure Roy and Sharon have a hard time, associate them with an ex UDP flunky.
i will vote for stefan baraud,we need more people like him in the goverment ..is time for a change,and it name stefan Baraud.
If I had to choose ten thousand times between Stefan and Foolio the broken jaw puppy I would choose Stefan ten thousand times.
I agree with you. Now if you had to choose between norovirus and dengue fever, which would you choose?
Thank goodness I never will.
Since you agree with them, which would YOU choose?
Some people simply cannot tell the difference between apples and oranges. Stephan had the balls to stand up to the one and only McKeeva Bush for the sake of his country, people. Compare that to foolio's tongue licking behaviour over the past four years. Please.
7:32 u mean to tell me that you are informing the public that you are happy to choose between cancer and aids…what a bunch of self-righteous hyprocrits!
I certainly agree you're a self righteous hypocrite, but calling yourself a bunch of self righteous hypocrites is taking it a little far.
If i had to choose between you and me, I would most definetly choose me.
Well it’s good to see a lot more people are seeing through this independent scam from these one time UDP supporters. Funny how these wanna bes politicians were all UDP supporters who in my opinion destroyed this country for middle class earners, blue collar workers, honest people and for generations to come. Now you have the audacity to request for these same people to come and talk to you or stop you on the street. Which street? The yellow brick road? Ok I will click my heels twice and see if cayman can be C4Cs wonderland.
What I see here are people who made it rich under the UDP administration are now turning greedy who wants the goose that lays the golden egg for themselves! Well surprise there’s no more golden eggs as the uk government are cleaning up corruption in the Caribbean, people of the islands are demanding much more from our leaders, etc…
From what I gather, your manifesto seems to be a band aid to bigger issues that are affecting these islands. What I would like to hear are what are the plans when educated caymannians are over looked for promotions and expatriates takes these jobs that don’t even have a diploma behind their names, what about unemployment, the dump, increased crimes against women that are not even published, corrupted politicians, high cost of living, CUC, moriturim on development, concessions to big companies, small business, reduction in taxes, immigration reform, Dart, etc….
My friend, if the comments here are correct, you should resign now and save yourself the embarrassment!
Will this mean I will get safe biking lanes if I vote for you?
Stefan DID stand up to Mac regarding the Port, he DID resign from the UDP. What more does he need to do to prove that he is not a puppet and is a man of Integrity.
Stefan if this is not you or your Mama, i think it would be wise if you take the time to read the Minutes of the Port Authority CNS posted for all to read, you will clearly note that Stefan only quit when he thought he was going to be sued personally as Chairman of said Board by GLF nothing more than self preservation.
CNS please repost those wonderful Minutes you fought so hard to get! This selective memory of these wanna be Politicians is what has gotten us into this trouble were are in.
All of the”Independent Candidates” that have declared for GT and seeking endorsement from C4C (haha) so far were all ‘Advisors’ to and finanical supporters of Mack and the UDP! So they all should be called out for running this ship on to rocks and now abandoning their Captain Mack after so many years because their dirty dealings have caught up with them and now they need a new host to continue their blood sucking on. They are using their biz philsophy “if u can’t. Find someone to do it for you, do it yourself.
He did not resign he was fiiiireeeeeeed.
He did not resign he was fiiiireeeeeeed.
After numerous conversations with Stefan, one thing has become glaringly obvious. He is one of the few politians not only in Cayman but that I’ve ever spoken to who understands the importance of youth, technology, and economic and cultural globalization. His age gives him the perfect balance of being able to keep in touch with the future that is Caymans youth, while being able to preserve the essence of Cayman’s heritage. Its time for change
Congrats on taking the next giant leap forward, we the people of these beloved Cayman Islands need good representatives who we can trust to put in office to look out for our best interest and also the interest of our country. You have proven yourself to be a person of honesty and integrity, and that is the type of people thatwe need in office. I am a registered voter of George Town and in this upcoming election I will definitely give you a vote!!
Good young Caymanian who proved he was not going to be bullied by Mac!
hmmm hmmm
"who proved he was not going to be bullied by Mac!" – Yes, but ONLY after the threat and embarrassment of a lawsuit by GLF. So, if he had nothing to lose by doing what mac says, he would still be the Port Chairman and member of the udp (small letters intentional). His resignation as Port Chair was nothing about doing the 'right' thing for the country, more so doing the better thing for himself.
Personally, I can't have the respect and trust for anyone who ever believed in McKeeva or alligned himself with the former Premier.
To me it all looks more like the rats are leaving the sinking ship and everyone is trying to hold on to a little slice of the pie somehow.
Having businesses handed to you by your parents, which you then manage to ruin… Got yourself involved heavily with UDP, but now running independent?
Perfect Segwayto Cayman politics
Did you resign from GT UDP council? If so? When?
Are you still connected to UDP?
It sounds that you have an axe to grind. Many Caymanian businesses are failing today not because of one of their family members but simply because of the economy.
The UDP government was voted in to be business friendly but instead of doing things to encourage new investment and business growth, they raised fees and bloated up the Civil service so much that the whole country suffered.
The PPM spent like there was no tomorrow and the few dollarswe had saved for a rainy day was soon sucked away by the failing global economic problems.
I am not sure that Stephan is the one but I am not going to condemn him because of any mistakes or ridicule him about his family. That is low! he may have made mistakes in his life, but we will never learn if we don't make mistakes.
All this being said I have three of my votes sorted out. I am voting for Winston, Jude and Roy. Without good sound business sense to turn this country around we will end up worse than where the UDP and PPM have taken us.
BTW..Just in case the C4C thiinks they are off the okay, I say stop playing politrics, name your color and jump in the ring with the rest of the loser parties.
Interesting. I would have tried to take you seriously, until you already have your ” voting sorted out” :
On what basis have you chosen already without these candidates stating their position on any issue?
You are bashing a man that had the chutzpah to say no to mckeeva and you assign no value to that. Do How many people has been molested, hurt, intimidated and betrayed by the previous administration? I tell you one thing. God is still alive! And ain’t none of them getting relected!
Great, Stefan to hear, I hope you can make a change for the people of Cayman
Are you serious?
Other than beinga UDP sheep, what are you bringing to the table?
Seems you couldn't even manage your own businesses (Senor Frogs) succesfully, how would you manage the country's issues?
zzzzz
*yawn*.
NEXT!
Too pompous and self praising for me. Almost proud if you want the truth.
Kurt Tibbetts helped run a wildly successful business in Hampstead's into oblivion, so there's plenty of precedence. Then again, his track record of managing the country's issues is well known.
just like those failed buisness owners(hampstead ltd.),who went on to help destroy our economy from political office.
The usual route for failed businessmen is to enter politics
That is not nice of you to attack his past business record. We know Senior Frogs was one of the businesses that failed because of a slow and ailing economy; moreover, the increased in government fees. I think he ran it well.
And I thought it failed because every time I went there (both times maybe) it felt like I had ended up in the seventh pit of Hell.
Not nice??
But true.
And it’s relevant. Tis man is putting himself forward for MLA and it is RIGHT to ask about his qualifications and experience to do the job!
Explain yourself Stefan.
Thank The Lord, finally someone with an independent mind! Way to go Stefan you have my vote!
Another UDP reject. None of you will get my vote.
here we go again! more UDP in sheeps clothing joining the feeding frenzy. Thought he was “so tired” of politics lol, Good thing I didnt believe you Stefan – No Vote for you!
I got the 100th like on this
Guess you want a badge of honouror something…
Stefan, nice to see you taking a stance as an independent. Make sure to continue to look out for those people that need a voice in the community.
Will someone please explain to me the difference between a UDP, a UDP Independent, and a UDP in disguise…
Also while you are at it – whats the difference between a jackass and a donkey?
Add in a mule and the differences would be: one is a UDP, one thinks like a UDP and the other looks like a UDP!
How can we locate Stephan. Can he please post his telephone number. Most of our Politicians will not give their number nor answer them. We the little people usually have the best ideas. Need to talk to you Steph.
+1 (345) 925-9595 http://www.VoteStefanBaraud.com E: info@VoteStefanBaraud.com
You said it…'Most of our Politicians will not give their number nor answer them.' Some are not even politicians yet.
And where have you been and what have you done for the cayman people?
Please read the article again.
No thanks.
What?
Why?
Only in Cayman do convicted criminals and bankrupted business people run for mla as a side job!
Christ alive….!
I think you mean run as a UDP MLA…
Not necessarily;
Kurt Tibbets broke Hampstead, even tho he had a monopoly for office supplies business
Who were his partners in that again? Some guy named scott right?
Kenneth Bryan is running with PPM
Oh please!
UDP spoiler for GT ballot.
Disgusting!!
Another UDP extension cord.
My a** !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"Baraud added that he was considering seeking endorsement from the Coaltion for Cayman, but said his independence in this election campaign was very important to him." – I know I don't blame Baraud for considering TOTAL independence. The C4C appears to be a political party and if you are truly independent, the only ones you should be seeking support from is from the people of your constituency.
The C4C (aka. UDP lite) slate is taking shape. Full C4C endorsement soon come. Good going on the Port issue Stephan, but what about all of the other UDP dirty dealings over the past 7 years? Mac wouldn't have put you in charge of the Port Authority BoD if he didn't know you would "wuk wit him". XXXX Looks like all of the UDP sycophants are trying to change their stripes prior to the election. Voters beware, a tiger can't change its stripes and neither can these hard core UDP/C4Cers.
Too little too late Stefan. You can run (no pun intended), but you cant hide or get away from the tar and feathers of being soooo close to Mac since 2001, over ten years.
A leopard doesnt just change their spots overnight, nor a tiger their stripes.
Can't say I fully trust the guy; he was UDP after all.
Good for him. He has been more honest than most.
I believe he stands a chance of being elected if he offers a casino license to anyone who votes for him.
Congrats and thanks for stepping up Mr. Baraud. If I was voting in GT I would surely vote for you!