Search Results for 'no confidence'
Inmate releases two new novels from prison cell
(CNS): HMP Northward’s best known resident has published two more novels, which are now available in paperback. Following on from his first thriller, Caribbean Cartels, author Sheldon M Brown has now released his latest two books from the desk of his cell — Unholy Accord and Mayflower. Although Brown may be better known for his self-confessed criminal behavior, anyone who has read Caribbean Cartels will know that the former gangster has a flare for storytelling. According to his promoters, the latest two novels are both fast paced thrillers designed to keep the reader on the edge of his seat. The Cayman Islands provides the backdrop for both books in stories about international terrorism and the world of espionage.
The two new novels, along with Brown’s debut work, are all available locally at Books and Books and online at Lulu.com as well as the Amazon Kindle Store.
With a talent for writing and a knowledge of how the criminal world works, Brown has proved to be an impressive author whose stories can stand-up with the best of their genre. Since his imprisonment in 2006, after he was convicted of trying to kill Fernando Martin, the 42-year-old author has turned from real life crime and immersed himself in the crime of the imagination to share with his growing fan base.
Having studied the history of the Italian and American Mafia, dating back to the 1800s, the Japanese Yakuza, Chinese Triads, the Mexican and Colombian Cartels, and the more recent Afro and Latin American and Caribbean gangs, Brown learned that only aroundone percent of those who live a life of crime die a natural death or are able to retire with any great wealth. Most are dead by the age of 35 or given lengthy, often indefinite, prison sentences by age 40.
Learning from history and his own personal experiences, with betrayal, assassination attempts and several trips to prison, Brown has taken another route. Regretting the decisions which kept him trapped in a life of crime for two decades, his experiences have undoubtedly added to the quality of his storytelling.
In Caribbean Cartels, Brown has tried to reach out to the wayward civil society and the government. He shows the pros and the cons of the gangster lifestyle and where it ultimately ends. Caribbean Cartels attempts to get mainstream society to understand the social ills and how they could change the disease of recidivism by assisting, forgiving, and helping to direct ex-convicts to be reintegrated into the community or saving delinquents before they end up in prison.
All of his books are intended to not only entertain but to make society take note. In his second book, Unholy Accord, he looks at the dangers of radical Islam and how easily unsuspecting countries could become targets for extremist terrorists, believing that the Cayman Islands are a potential target for such an attack. In his third book, Mayflower, he examines the unorthodox nature of the Overseas Territories governments and how greedy, power-hungry and corrupt administrators, if left to govern unchecked, could result in unintended consequences that will ultimately affect the citizens of those countries.
Despite being inside Northward, Brown is said to keep an eye on local and international politics and says citizens should take their heads out of the sand and demand greater accountability of their leaders, because what happens in Mayflower is a very real possibility.
Although Brown has served only six years of his 22 year sentence, he intends to make a career as an author and has promised his readers that his fourth book, which will be released in 2013, will be just as exciting, enlightening and entertaining as his three previous novels. He also plans an autobiography in the near future, which Brown hopes will discourage anyone who is contemplating a life of crime or may be trapped in it.
See book descriptions below:
Unholy Accord
This is a fast-paced, suspense-filled thriller about a five-man terrorist sleeper cell sent to the United States and Grand Cayman to live and blend in amongst the locals until they are instructed to carry out simultaneous attacks against both countries. The deadly biological weapon, which was constructed by Shaheed Hariri, a Hezbollah-linked Lebanese scientist who lives in the US, was designed to kill millions of people and cause fear and panic. The US government, the CIA and FBI actively seek out a world-renowned microbiologist, who they hope will be able to explain the contents of the weapon. If they don’t find an antidote soon enough, hundreds of millions of people will die and cause a humanitarian catastrophe.
The US and Cayman Islands economy are brought to a grinding halt, as the aftermath of the attacks threatens to destabilize both countries and indeed the world at large. Great Britain, the United States and other Caribbean countries come to the aid of the Caymanian people, who have never been the victims of a terrorist attack. Thousands are killed by the attack on Grand Cayman, forcing the Premier Karl Limmitts to take extraordinary measures to protect the lives of the island’s surviving residents. The crime thriller is set on Grand Cayman but the story also takes you to the mean streets of hardline Islamic states, as FBI and CIA agents risk their lives to track down an international terrorist network.
Mayflower
In his third book, Brown presents readers with a suspense-filled spy thriller that will keep them on the edge of their seats as the riveting story about greed, distrust, lust, power, corruption, betrayal and revenge unfolds. Veteran MI6 agent Natalya Pushkina is sent to Grand Cayman on a mission for Mayflower, a powerful and often deadly organization of hard-liners, composed of some elements of the British government and its intelligence services.
The group believes the islands are a liability to Great Britain, and that there may be a lot to gain by removing them from their list of Overseas Territories. Gerry Noonan, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, is also the leader of the clandestine group. Noonan devises a plan that he believes will give the UK the perfect reason to sever ties with the Cayman Islands and enable him to ruin their financial industry, while shoring up Britain’s dwindling economy.
The group formulates a plan and sends a highly-trained female agent to the West Indian three-island chain with millions of dollars to set up an accounting firm called Baxter Incorporated, which is housed at Gardenia Court in Camana Bay, a few hundred meters from her own waterfront condominium.
However, Natalya, who should be spying on certain prominent people, is betraying not only her handlers but her country as well. Unknown to anyone in Britain, she is involved in a forbidden relationship with a Russian Intelligence agent, who is sending hundreds of millions of dollars through her shell company, Bristol Business Consultants. Natalya then uses the money to invest in development projects.
To facilitate her investment plans for the island, Natalya seduces a local corrupt politician, who does what is necessary to assist the MI6 agent, while lining his own pockets and his cronies as well.
But a shrewd local banker discovers serious irregularities and unexplained wealth in the bank accounts of some very prominent people, which sets off a chain of high-profile crimes that threatens the very peace and stability of this tropical paradise, forcing Governor Harry Dinspel to step in and use his executive power. He takes a drastic, but very unpopular decision to save the reputation of the islands and reinstate confidence in its administrators.
No woman, no try
(CRFU):The first Annual Charity Touch Rugby Tournament sponsored by Stella Artois took place Saturday underthe floodlights at the Camana Bay sports field. Raising money for the “Feed Our Future” organization that provides school meals to underprivileged children, eleven teams played in two pool groups to determine who went forward into the semi-finals and final. Mixed teams, with three men and three women, played under an interesting variation on the usual rules with a try scored by a woman counting double. This often proved decisive as the games were hard fought and usually close. The teams that utilized their female contingent the best were likely to win. (Photo Mark Robson)
Pool A comprised Harmonic, Broadhurst, Team RoRo, Baker-Tilley and the imaginatively-named No Woman No Try. The latter boasted a superstar line-up genetically engineered to play the game with speed and precision and were the pre-tournament favourites. So keen were they to dominate this event that they were secretly seen practicing complex manoeuvres the night before that would have made the D-day landing looks simple by comparison – clearly a fun charity event is serious business for these guys.
Early pool wins served notice to the opposition that they were in-it-to-win-it but they were given a confidence sapping slap in the face with a sobering 2-3 defeat to newcomers Baker-Tilley. Largely unknown to the touch rugby world Baker-Tilley, captained by Gareth Wilkinson, dominated the Pool and stormed into the semi-finals with four wins out of four playing fast and furious rugby. Team RoRo were pretty in pink although I’m convinced their kit was meant to be all-white but for an errant pair of red underpants in the pre-game kit wash.
The perky pinks played the pastel purples of Broadhurst in a kit clash that required sunglasses to be handed out even though the game was at night-time. It was a colourful match that delighted the crowd. Harmonic played some great rugby too but were up against it with some of the powerhouses on show.
In Pool B the matches were extremely tight. The Rainbow Warriors, composed of mainly Kiwis and South Africans, were dressed to distress in multi-coloured hippy spiral tie-dye shirts. The crowd could not be sure if they were dressed ironically or whether their psychotically disturbing outfits were actually still in fashion back in their homelands. Either way, no game was easy and they had close wins over Maples and Team UBS to secure a 100% record.
The rest of the teams Ernst & Young, Touchy Feely, and The Ticklers all played out excellent games with most scores determined by the odd point or too. With some creative accounting done in the “Points Difference” column, the accountants of Team UBS secured second place over Maples despite both teams finishing equal in the group with three wins, one draw and one defeat.
The first semi-final was between Baker-Tilley and Team UBS. Given their respective results in the pool stages, no-one gave Team UBS a realistic chance but sport can wonderfully confound the most ardent of armchair expert and UBS scored first and early and then hung on to their lead with their renowned defence as Baker-Tilley ran out of time and ideas. The 3-2 score a reflection on the spirit within their team, Joanne Remillard a stand out player in defence.
The second semi-final saw No Woman No Try take on Rainbow Warriors. This game was always going to be frantic and so it proved. These players know each other very well from previous encounters in varying incarnations and No Woman No Try, with Neal Ainscow in the ascendency, came out victorious this time, the final score 2-1.
The hour may have been late but there was a party atmosphere as the noisy crowd, fuelled with heady anticipation, prepared for the grand finale. Could Team UBS pull a second rabbit out of the hat and claim victory or would No Woman No Try prove the pundits right and secure the title they so cravingly desired?
It proved a bridge too far for Team UBS as their opponents used electric pace to dominate the game. No Woman No Try with their tried and tested driving plays pinning back the UBS defence, they unleashed those well-rehearsed killer moves closer to the line. The score was close and the match tense, but frustration got the better of some of the UBS players causing referee Mick Kehoe to give one of them time for some inner-contemplation and reflection on the sidelines for the persistent questioning of his decisions.
No Woman No Try was only one-up at this point and the exclusion deflated UBS as they leaked more tries, and the final score was 5-1 to No Woman No Try. Special mention must go to the girls on the team – Jo Ziegler, Sharlee Henshaw, Chandra Friesen, and Lisa Bird who played brilliantly demonstrating that if ever there was a team aptly named then No Woman No Try is it. When asked about the event, Captain Jyoti Choi said, “The lights were great and it was fun to try out something different. We’ll definitely be back next year to defend our title.”
Organiser Mat Bishop said, “I am delighted that we were able to put this tournament together to help children in Cayman that are in need. Stella Artois were fantastic to help us put on this event. There is a very strong Touch Rugby community here and this type of event gives us the chance to enjoy our sport whilst giving something back to the community.”
Everyone agreed the tournament was an enormous success with just under $3000 raised for “Feed Our Future”. Stacey Vandevelde from Feed Our Future said, “We are very grateful for the help this tournament has provided”.
The tournament is indebted to the wonderful support of sponsors Cayman Distributors, Stella Artois, and Black Trumpet. Organisers would also like to thank Dart Enterprises and DJ Chris Jackson for their contributions to the night.
No loan needed for Brac airport upgrade, says CIAA
(CNS): The expansion of the Cayman Brac airport terminal will be funded by the Cayman Islands Airports Authority (CIAA), which will not need a loan for the project, according to the authority’s CEO, Jeremy Jackson. Phase One, which will roughly double the size of the airport building, will include renovations of the existing facility as well as the expansion to the east side. Phase Two, which is a planned expansion on the west side of the existing terminal building, will be built at a later date when the CIAA has the funds to do it. The cost of Phase One, Jackson said, would not be revealed until after the tendering process was complete, and this will be going to the Central Tenders Committee “shortly”. (Photo: L-R Jeremy Jackson and CIAA board chair Dick Arch)
However, he said that the enabling works should commence sometime in August.
Critically, the first phase of the upgrade of the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport (CKIA), as it is now called following a renaming ceremony on Saturday, will include hold baggage screening equipment, which will enable the airport to facilitate direct flights to the US, since this is a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirement. Currently, the airport has direct flights arriving from Miami but passengers travelling from the Brac to the US must stop at Grand Cayman, which adds an extra flight and sometimes many hours to the journey.
Once Phase One of the project is complete, the airport will have a larger check-in and ticketing counter, enhanced passenger and baggage screening facilities and outgoing immigration counters. The departure lounge will also be expanded to create additional retail space and a larger restaurant. There will be additional office space for Cayman Airways and for the airport’s Security Unit, which will also have CCTV security. For the first time, the Brac airport will have a VIP lounge, Jackson told CNS.
Phase two of the project will see enhancements to the arrivals hall (immigration and customs areas) as well as the addition of space for the Public Health and Agriculture departments.
As the terminal facility is to remain operational during the construction phase, the CIAA says that efforts will be made to carry out the work with minimal interruption to passenger processing. The authority says there will be some temporary relocation of functions to allow for refurbishments to be carried out on the existing facility.
At Saturday’s renaming ceremony, Jackson said the expansion project would undoubtedly provide a much-needed boost to the Brac’s economy. “We are confident that the ability to attract direct international flights, without the stopover in Grand Cayman, will provide even greater opportunities for local businesses in the years ahead. The CIAA looks forward to playing its role in the continued economic development of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman,” he said.
In his address at Saturday’s ceremony, Premier and Tourism Minister McKeeva Bush also noted that in the event of an interruption to operations to Grand Cayman’s Owen Roberts Airport because of a natural disaster or an aircraft accident, as an international airport, the Brac’s CKIA would serve as a lifeline for the Cayman Islands.
The premier said the airport, which was being renamed for “a son of Cayman Brac”, the late Captain Charles Kirkconnell, who had served as an elected representative for Cayman Brac and Little Cayman for three consecutive terms from 1976 to 1988 and had also served on the Executive Council (now called Cabinet).
He recalled how the Brac’s Gerrard-Smith Airport had been officially opened during the royal visit of Princess Alexandra in 1988. He said that Captain Charles, as well and his permanent secretary at the time, Sammy Jackson, who was present at Saturday’s event, had been instrumental in the building of the airport and it was fitting, given all of his valuable contributions to the islands, that the airport should be renamed in his honour.
Astwo past Cayman Islands commissioners, Andrew Gerrard and Ivor Smith, for whom the airport was previously named, were consigned to the history books, Deputy Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly explained how the renaming would mean that Captain Charles would be remembered whenever people arrived on the Brac. He could “easily be forgotten if we don’t recognize those nation builders,” she said.
In his vote of thanks, CIAA Chairman Richard “Dick” Arch recognized the efforts of the CIAA’s Project Manager Nicholas Johnson, the lead architect Donal McGrath of BDCL Architects, BCQS Quantity Surveyors, District Commissioner Ernie Scott, and various other government agencies, as well as other individuals who had made significant contributions to the project thus far.
Arch expressed his confidence that the people of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman would be proud of their enhanced terminal when the expansion concludes in 2013.
Related articles:
Capt. Charles Leonard Kirkconnell, OBE, 1922-2010
TCI governor reports progress but no election date
(CNS): The Turks and Caicos Islands governor said Monday that good progress was being made on the eight milestones the country needs to achieve before the British government will permit democratic elections in the territory. Releasing the latest progress report Ric Todd added that work still remained to be done however, before the UK could reinstate the constitution and set an election date. The British government implemented direct rule in 2009 as a result of the discovery of suspected systemic corruption, as well as the mismanagement of public funds and assets and began a long investigation into the previous leader Michael Misick and his Progressive National Party government.
Since then the UK has said that the democratic process can only re-start in TCI once certain milestones have been achieved. Almost three years on since the constitution was suspended work continues on the goals such as reform of the public sector, good governance and sound public financial management , new legislation on crown land, the regulation of political parties and public life as well as the introduction of a fair process for TCI status.
Todd said that some milestones were almost completed or well on the way to completion.
“We must continue to give UK Ministers confidence that the country is run according to its stated budget and a fiscal surplus will be achieved this financial year,’ he said when he announced his progress report. “The milestone relating to substantial progress in the on-going criminal investigation will require their clear judgement given that the trials will not be completed this year.”
So far 13 people have been charged with corruption, conspiracy to defraud and money laundering in the investigation launched in the wake of Sir Robin Auld’s Commission of Inquiry that concluded that there was a high probability of systemic corruption in Misick’s government. Since then a warrant has been issued for the former TCI leader’s arrest. Misick is believed to be in exile in the Dominican Republic and he has consistently denied any wrong doing.
See Todd's progress report below
Rundown comes of age, if not quite maturity
(CNS):CNCF’s annual comedy revue will be celebrating 21 years of comic antics when the team take to the stage next month. The show, created by Dave Martins, retains its original format under the current writer and director, Henry Muttoo who is continuing with the traditional irreverent look at life in Cayman. Many of the show’s regular cast members have returned and are joined by a number of newcomers whom the organisers say are adding to the ‘knee-weakening’ and ‘belly-busting’ humour. Original cast member, Harwell McCoy also comes ‘home’ to the show with two vintage performances, in the mirage roles of “Mr. Premier” and “Q Brown, PhD, PhD, DTh, QC, MBE”.
Other familiar Rundown players in this year’s show are Fritz McPherson, Giselle Webb, Priscilla Pouchie, Judy Singh and, joining the cast for the first time, Jacoline Frank, Vijay Singhera and Kevin Morales complete the multicultural mix for which Rundown is justifiably famous.
Henry Muttoo, said, “Writing the show has given me a much clearer understanding of Dave Martin’s creative talents. To use a Shakespearean quote, Dave is ‘… a great observer and he looks quite through the deeds of men…’ The challenge has always been locating the comedy in situations, which if we stress over them, would otherwise drive us all absolutely insane.”
Muttoo described Rundown as an institution and said people had been suggesting topics – mainly of a political bias which he said shows how attuned residents are to what’s happening around them.
“Once January rolls around, we get constant calls asking about the show – even the media call and write us for the scoop on topics being played, opening date, and so on. And not only the media but well–known personalities, mentioned in past shows, will even enquire if they ‘are in it again’ and are quite disappointed if they are not mentioned,” he added.
According to a CNCF source, the organisation, was not going to do the show this year but, “we got a leaked document from a source, which shall remain unnamed, who we understand – although this has not been confirmed – works at a firm which has a roof that lets in rain. That ‘someone’, whose name has been redacted, had plans to bring a no-confidence motion against CNCF for mis-management of Cayman’s laugh time so, we had no choice but to plug the leak by going ahead with the show,” the source revealed.
Rundown opens on 12 April as part of Cayfest – the Cayman Islands National Festival of the Arts – and plays for two weekends Thursdays through Sundays. It then returns for its finale over the weekend of 4 – 6 May.
The opening night performance on Thursday 12 April promises to bea sold out affair and tickets for this show are available exclusively from the PTA of the George Town Primary School.
Cheyenna Stewart, fund-raising chair of the PTA, asked what better event there was to raise money for the school than Rundown.
“The show is so well known and loved that selling tickets will be a breeze. Added to that we will also be assisting the show to play to a full house of patrons who will no doubt spread the good word and by doing so, assist CNCF,” she said.
“We are grateful for the opportunity and wish to thank CNCF and our generous sponsors, Jacques Scott and Foster’s Food Fair, who each donated items for the event. The funds raised will go towards a playground for the school. We have chosen this project to coincide with the new building being constructed at George Town Primary. We feel the time is now to focus our attention on accomplishing this much needed project for our children as George Town Primary does not currently have a playground,” she added.
See details below
GM mosquito release not transparent, say scientists
(CNS): A group of independent scientists say that the release of genetically modified mosquitoes in the Cayman Islands, Malaysia and Brazil was not sufficiently transparent or properly regulated which risks undermining the research of what they say is promising technology. The German scientists published a paper on Monday based on their analysis of the insect release which found a deficit in the scientific quality of regulatory documents and a general absence of accurate experimental descriptions available to the public before the release started.
A team of scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology in Plön, Germany said that accurate scientific information about “designer insect” releases is being highly restricted throughout the world, especially before those releases begin.
Genetically modified mosquitoes were released in EAst End on Grand Cayman in 2009 as part of a research study on the eradication of dengue fever by the UK-based company Oxitec in partnership with the Mosquito Research and Control Unit. Although there was some local notification in the district and a GIS TV programme was produced about the release the experiment remained very low profile with very little information about the project in the public domain.
The independent scientists said in their report that the possibility of the GM insects’ offspring biting humans was never addressed. The pointed out that the males were partly and not completely sterile, despite claims to the contrary, and as a result this obvious question was conspicuously ignored despite the probability that the transgenic daughters of the released males will bite humans.
However, the German scientists explained that this did not mean the technology was inherently dangerous but it would impact public confidence in regulators if the discussion of scientifically plausible concerns are absent. The analysis found no publically available documents that scientifically considered possible human health impacts of being bitten by transgenic females.
The independent scientists argued in their paper for transparency to help promote acceptance of what they said was promising technology.
During the research into the Cayman Islands release it was established that there was no enacted legislation relating to either the release or transportation of the living genetically modified organisms.
Bill Petrie the director of the MCRU told CNS recently that said that the unit had to obtain a permit from the Department of Agriculture for the importation of the mosquito eggs and release of the progeny. He also stated that the Department of Environment was also consulted.
The scientists noted however that community engagement and consent for such a project requires greater transparency. The report said that the general lack of accurate available information before starting the release was disappointing as it should have been widely circulated before the experiment. The need for high-quality community engagement, particularly in early releases, has repeatedly been argued as essential by expert scientists.
“It is rather uncontroversial to state that in the absence of meaningful and accurate descriptions being made widely available, communityengagement cannot credibly be said to have occurred,"‘ said Dr Guy Reeves one of the scientists from the Max Planck Institute. “If those that conducted the trials cannot produce pre-release written descriptions, then they need to explicitly state why meaningful community engagement and consent might not be necessary for experimental releases into towns and cities.”
The scientists said in their paper that given the enormous human burden of diseases like dengue fever and crop loss from insect attack it is important that new control techniques are developed and that field trials are essential.
"However, we need an informed public to ensure that experimental testing of this potentially valuable technology can be given a fair chance and that testing does not needlessly provoke public mistrust,”added Reeves.
He said that avoiding the kind of questionable practices which characterized the commercial development of genetically modified plant is likely to be important in this area of research.
See related stories below
Gm-mozzies-may-have-reproduced
Gm-mozzies-didnt-linger-says-cayman-control-unit
Bush: OT paper ‘not my fault’
(CNS): The premier has hit out at critics regarding the limited period of time given for the public to consult over the UK’s proposed 2012 White Paper on the relationship between Britain the Overseas Territories. McKeeva Bush denied having any control over the process and in particular the short consultation time. He said he did not know anything about the consultation process until 14 September, when it was announced in the UK parliament. The process has followed a timetable set by the FCO, Bush stated as he denied being at fault and added that his government was still fighting to push back the date for agreement on the paper to June next year as the UK aims to bring it forward. (Photo Dennie Warren Jr)
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly on Thursday afternoon, Bush said the criticisms of his role were misplaced and calculated to mislead the public as he had no control over the timetable. While he agreed that the issue was rushed, he said it was no fault of his.
He indicated that Ezzard Miller had suggested government knew about the consultation a year ago but the country was now rushing to complete it by this month’s deadline, and had accused him of secrecy regarding the new white paper. Bush said the claims of secrecy were untrue the only thing he knew after last year’s Overseas Territories Consultative Council meeting was that there would be a review of the UK-OT relationship by the FCO.
“There was nothing more at the time. I gave notice of the review when I came back … in December 2010,” he stated.
Bush said that if people were deprived of the opportunity to make representations, it was not his doing.
“The pubic consultation process on the UK’s relationship with the Overseas Territories is not an undertaking by me or the Cayman Islands Government. This review and consultation is at the behest of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.”
He said the FCO was driving the entire process and he was not in a position to announce that process without the Terms of Reference, which the FCO has determined. He revealed that he had received a letter in March from Henry Bellingham, the FCO minister, but that made no mention of a public consultation. “The letter detailed the three strands of the OT strategy and it says the Foreign Secretary plans to present the thinking outlined in the letter to the National Security Council this spring,” Bush stated.
The letter spoke about discussing the relationship and opportunities for exchange of views and towards a new White Paper later in 2011. Bush said he had made his concerns about the timetable set out by the FCO clear as it would prejudice the prospects of territories to put forward the best position.
“I expressed my concern about the time we were given to present our views from September 7th. How, in view of these facts, could anyone come now and say that it is my fault that the time for consultation is so short? Except that the opposition and the member for North Side have done nothing but twist the truth in all that they do,” Bush exclaimed, adding that it was not until September that the UK indicated they wanted to see a consultation process that included the general public.
“If the minister for the Overseas Territories is telling me on September 16th that he wants responses froma consultation process that includes as many people of the Cayman Islands as possible by November 18th, how is that my fault? I have no argument with the point that the consultation process was too brief. But for the opposition leader to say it is my fault is misleading the country, which it seems he has no problem doing,” the premier claimed.
Questioning the motives, intent and sincerity of the opposition and independent members, whom he accused of misleading the public, he said they were at best “negligent” and at worst “malicious” and had calculated to undermine people’s confidence in the very institution of government.
Bush also noted that people who have access to the internet can still make their views known to the FCO through the website until the year end and reveled that there would be a progress report after the OTCC meeting in London next week.
“Our relationship with the UK is of great importance to us as a government, as it remains of great importance to all of Cayman,” he said. “We strive robustly on a daily basis to advance the best interests of the Cayman Islands and will certainly do so in this White Paper review. We will push for a true partnership, for mutually beneficial objectives, and to begin with, both a definition of principles and a timeframe for an agreement, which will effectively realize those ends. We do our utmost for the betterment of Cayman and we have no fear of accountability for the service we render,” the premier added as he adjourned Thursday’s sitting of the LA.
See full speech below.
UDP ignoring crime, says opposition leader
(CNS): The opposition leader implored government to "do something about crime" during his no confidence motion on Wednesday in the Legislative Assembly, after telling members that they weren't eunuchs. Despite their claims that crime was not their responsibility, the new constitution gives them more power to influence policy than any elected officials have ever had, Alden McLaughlin pointed out. He also reminded the UDP government that during the election campaign the party had told the electorate that the PPM was failing on crime and if they were elected they would address the issue, but since then crime had reached unprecedented levels.
“Not a day goes by without headlines screaming out about the latest robbery,” McLaughlin said, adding that while crime was the leading concern of the entire community, the government continues to ignore the problem. He said the UDP administration had completely failed to do anything at all about the frighteningly high levels of crime. He said he could not remember when the premier had last said anything about what his government intended to do about what everybody believed was the most important issue affecting the country.
While the premier was “running around breaking ground and making promises about grandiose projects that would never happen,” crime was undermining the entire well-being of the country, the opposition leader said. Day after day the business community cried out for something to be done, he added, but as tourists were being robbed, George Town turned into a ghost town and people were afraid to leave there homes in the evening, the premier and his colleagues were silent about the problem.
“There are all sorts of deals and all sorts of promises made but what is the government doing about the crime wave that is washing over us?” the PPM leader demanded to know as the government benches heckled about the PPM leader about giving the power to the governor in the constitution which his government had negotiated.
Pointing to the change in the 2009 constitution, McLaughlin emphasised that the elected arm of government did have more power now and it “must do what it was elected to do and take ownership of the problem,” he said.
He pointed out that the premier and two government ministers as well as the opposition leader now sat on the National Security Council (NSC) giving the elected members far more influence than ever before, but he said the premier was not using that influence.
McLaughlin accused the government of taking the position that crime was the governor's problem and therefore they didn’t have to do anything about it, but that was no longer the case, he stressed. He called on the government members to show the people why they should have confidence in them and their stewardship of the country. He said that when they answered his motion, he hoped they would offer the people something more than excuses and say what the government's policy was to deal with rising crime.
“The people have entrusted them with the affairs of the country and that includes the issue of crime,” he said, but government had not taken their responsibility seriously, he claimed as he accused them of being insensitive about the issue.
The first of the government members to answer the opposition leader's motion was Juliana O'Connor Connolly, the deputy premier, who spoke to the issues McLaughlin raised about crime.
She denied that the government had the power that McLaughlin had implied and said “Cabinet has absolutely no responsibility” when it came to the police. She accused the opposition leader of being an “authority of nonsense” as everyone cared about crime and he was misleading the people when he said the government could influence the police.
She said if the opposition leader was so concerned about crime he should present his solutions to the governor or the police commissioner instead of trying to gain votes by wasting everyone’s time with the no confidence motion. “He should not use crime as a political football, or any other type of football,” she said.
LA not resuming till August
(CNS): Following the adjournment of Legislative Assembly in the immediate wake of Finance Committee last month until a day to be named, it appears that the country’s parliamentarians will not meet now until at least 3 August, the opposition confirmed. According to correspondence he received from the Legislative Assembly, Opposition Leader Alden McLaughlin said despite numerous questions and concerns surrounding the investigation which is believed to centre around the premier, the matter of bribery and corruption raised in the international media with the Cayman Islands' new port partners, the dismissal of the port board and the no confidence motion which was filed by the opposition, the country’s leader has closed down the LA for a month.
“I have no doubt that this is a deliberate tactic of government to avoid having to deal with the lack of confidence motion,” McLaughlin said Tuesday about the date which has currently been appointed for parliament to resume.
“Given the investigation into the premier,” he said referring to the investigation which is believed to involve the country’s leader regarding a re-zoning issue from 2004, “and the revelations in Bangladesh about CHEC the firm that the premier has signed an MOU with to build the George Town port, as well as the sudden reshuffle of the port board, among other things, it seems the premier does not want to deal with the 24 points raised in the motion.”
The no confidence motion was filed by the opposition at the end of April and has so far not made it to the business agenda. McLaughlin said this flew in the face of convention because under the Westminster system it is customary when there is a challenge to the government in the form of a no confidence motion for it to be dealt with at the earliest opportunity to address the issues raised and dispel any instability.
“This should have been debated before the premierbrought the budget to re-establish confidence in his government and put the country’s collective mind at rest that they could have confidence in the government's spending plans,” the opposition leader added. "Instead he chose to hold a public meeting where some members who may have been the most likely to waiver in their support delivered speeches backing the premier.”
McLaughlin said the premier needed to address the twenty-four points raised in the opposition motion and show the country that all of his government supports him. “This is more important than ever given the questions surrounding this investigation, which he has not spoken about, and we don’t know if his government is still supporting him,” he added.
Debating the no confidence motion would allow all of the government members, both on the front and back benches, to publicly declare their support for the premier and “signal one way or the other how they all feel about how the country is being run,” McLaughlin noted.
PPM: Demo not the problem
(CNS): The leader of the opposition has said it is absurd for anyone to suggest that the people’s right to a peaceful protest about their government is the cause of destabilization. Following the march on Tuesday, Alden McLaughlin pointed out that the opposition and the people have made every sensible effort to deliver a message to the premier about the various concerns they have but he is refusing to listen. In the face of a letter to the local media from former political representatives Truman Bodden and John McLean, the PPM leader said the opposition had done everything it was possible to do to address the lack of transparency and the lack of compliance with the law but to no avail.
“We have raised the issues on the floor of the House, we have a filed a motion of no confidence that has not even reached the order paper, we have railed on the talk shows, we have held public meetings, what more can we do?” he asked. He pointed out that the government has once again adjourned the Legislative Assembly without giving members a date to return.
He noted that when the politicians are sitting, the premier controls everything that is on the order paper and both the opposition and the independent member are at the mercy of McKeeva Bush when it comes to getting their motions on the floor of the LA for debate or the parliamentary questions answered.
McLaughlin pointed out that there were very real and genuine concerns among the local business community, the financial sector and the public at large, not just about the inappropriate project proposals, but about the way decisions were being made and in particular the circumvention by the premier of due process. He said this was further compounded by the recent revelations that the premier is at the centre of a police investigation concerning 'financial irregularities'.
He said this was the issue that was causing any instability. He pointed out that, if anything, the march demonstrated that the one thing that did remain alive and well was democracy and that the people were still able to speak out despite the many who are afraid to do so.
His opposition colleague, Arden McLean, had suggested the same thing when he MC'd the peaceful demo outside the LA Tuesday. McLean had gone a step further, however, and suggested that investor confidence was being undermined because everybody was "holding their hands out for their piece of the pie".
In their letter, which was sent to various media houses and can be seen here on Cayman27 site (it was not sent to CNS), Truman Bodden and John McLean criticised the opposition for leading the demonstration.
“The democratic right to public demonstration should be used as one of the last resorts. Internationally the demonstration may be associated with instability in a world where recently governments have been removed by demonstrations and riots,” they wrote. The two former ExCo members blamed the party system and its further entrenchment in the new constitution, adding that under the old system “extreme actions were rarely used”.
The opposition leader said he disagreed with Bodden and McLean and the Compass editorial on Wednesday, which had also criticised the demonstration.
“This was not a riot or civil disobedience,” McLaughlin pointed out. “It was a peaceful protest carried out in an orderly manner with permission of the commissioner of police. It is absurd to suggest that it was destabilizing.”
The leader of the opposition said he was worried about potential destabilization but people exercising their democratic right was not causing that instability.
“It is the constant undermining of the rule of law and the spectre of corruption that is the problem,” the PPM leader added. McLaughlin said crime, the economic problems, the high cost of living and unemployment were undermining the country and this is what needed to be addressed.