In a surprise move, the head of Cayman’s new National Coalition For Caymanians coalition, André Ebanks, found himself being challenged Tuesday for the job of premier, when the People’s Progressive Movement nominated its own leader, Joey Hew, for the role.
In a less surprising outcome, Ebanks was the victor after a secret ballot by the newly sworn-in members of government and opposition, which ended in a 11-8 vote. The NCFC has 11 members, all of whom, presumably, voted along party lines, while the PPM has seven members. There is also one independent opposition member.
The move, made minutes after all MPs had been sworn in to their new seats by Governor Jane Owen, does not bode well for Ebanks’ hopes, as outlined in his first speech as premier, that the government and opposition would develop an advocatory relationship, working together, rather than the typical adversarial one that often occurs in the House.
None of Cayman’s three political parties won enough seats in the 30 April general election to form a government on their own. The PPM won seven seats, Ebanks’s The Caymanian Community Party won four, and the Cayman Islands National Party also won four. After less than 24 hours of negotiating, three independents — Rolston Anglin, Jay Ebanks and Isaac Rankine — joined the CINP and TCCP coalition, giving them enough numbers to form a government.
All three of those independents are being given ministerial positions, as was evident at the swearing-in ceremony for members of Cabinet Tuesday afternoon, which occurred outside the House of Parliament — in keeping with the separation of powers of the executive and legislative authorities.
Others sworn in to Cabinet positions at Tuesday’s ceremony were André Ebanks, Gary Rutty, who is now deputy premier, Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, Michael Myles and Nickolas DaCosta. The remaining three government members — Wayne Panton, Julie Hunter and Heather Bodden — are expected to receive ministerial councillor positions.
The government is expected to announce this week which ministries each Cabinet member will get.
Parliament is scheduled to resume on Wednesday at 2pm.
Premier: ‘Let’s get this show on the road’
In his speech, made to relatives, friends and other supporters gathered outside the House of Parliament on Tuesday, the new premier thanked God and his wife Tiffany and his two children for their support, describing Tiffany as his “wisest counsel and best friend”.
He paid special tribute to the late Judiann Myles, the head of the anti-money laundering division in the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority, who was found dead in a burning car last month. He commended her role in helping get the Cayman Islands off the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list of jurisdictions.
Calling for people to adopt more old-time values, he mentioned littering, road rage and bullying as examples of behaviour that did not reflect Cayman’s culture and traditions.
Turning to his NCFC colleagues, he thanked them for being “selfless” and for “getting the point that the country deserves calm in the chaos, to bring order over disorder, to put aside egos and drive the point home that, in less than 24 hours, a government can be formed without a large argument, without large debate, without huge horse-trading, for the benefit of the people of the Cayman Islands.”
Those comments harked back to the fact that, following the 2021 election, which also resulted in no party majority, it took five days for a government to form.
To the opposition, Ebanks said he hoped they could work together with government to “advocate strongly, vociferously for different positions, but not adversaries because, at the end of the day, we are all Caymanian”.
Addressing the civil service, he said his government, in setting policy, did not intend to “badger you into our position”.
He added, “It is to inspire you into the vision and help you advise us on how we are going to get from point A to point C without acrimony, without hostility, without bullying, because you all are in the engine room with us, and we have to start a partnership that works from beginning to end.”
He closed with the comment, “For all who say Cayman is doomed, I rebuke that. Cayman is not out of the fight,” adding, “Let’s get this show on the road.”
Miller elected as speaker
Veteran politician and former representative for North Size, Ezzard Miller, as expected, was elected, unopposed, as speaker of Parliament at Tuesday’s ceremony.
Ebanks, commenting on his choice of Miller for the role, said he would make an “experienced, no-nonsense, on-time, competent” speaker, adding, “This is a serious mind to do a serious job.”
In his first speech to the House as speaker, Miller had earlier said he was accepting the role with “profound humility, personal honour and sincere gratitude”.
Noting that the very nature of the House of Parliament “is one of conflict and advocational debate, I would hope that we can grab this opportunity to follow the theme of this year’s emancipation celebration, unity and strengthening our legacy”.
In his first act as speaker, he oversaw the nomination of deputy speaker, a role given to Pearlina McGaw-Lumsden, a first-time MP and member of the opposition.
Miller, who is not a current Member of Parliament, is the fourth non-elected individual to hold the position of speaker, after the first speaker, Sybil McLaughlin (1991-1996), Mabry Kirkconnell (2000-2001), and Mary Lawrence (2009-2013).
His role involves presiding over House proceedings, as well as casting a tie-breaking vote where results in Parliament are an even split.
Governor’s speech
Governor Owen, in her address to the House, after the oaths and affirmations of the new members were completed, said, “We are gathered here today in this hallowed hall of Cayman’s democracy to welcome and formally confirm the 19 representatives who were successfully returned by our electorate.”
She thanked Wayne Panton and Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, who both served as premier over the past four years, for their service, and also paid tribute to the Elections Office teams, the candidates who did not win seats, and the voters themselves.
Noting that Cayman had 25,643 registered voters on Election Day, an increase of more than 2,000 on 2021’s figures, and that 73% of the electorate came out to vote, she urged all electors to take part in elections.
Referring to international and domestic election observers’ preliminary reports, the governor said she hoped the incoming government would take steps to address some of the issues highlighted in those reports, including more transparent campaign financing, reviewing constituency boundaries, and developing regulations on social media.
She also touched on the results of the three referendums — on cruise berthing infrastructure, which was rejected, and decriminalisation of possessing small amounts of cannabis and the adoption of a national lottery, both of which were passed.
“These results are clear, though they are not binding,” she said, adding that it was now up to the government to use its discretion on how to move forward on those matters.
She reiterated that the United Kingdom was committed to the Cayman Islands as a British Overseas Territory.