Cayman: ‘Akin To An Attempt To Take Over’
Cayman Islands Premier Alden McLaughlin denounced a suggestion from the UK Foreign Affairs Committee that British citizens to be able to vote and run for office in the Overseas Territories, with the Cayman Premier saying it is “akin to an attempt to take over the territory.”
This is according to a report in the Cayman Compass, which said, “Premier Alden McLaughlin strongly denounced a United Kingdom Foreign Affairs Committee report issued that calls for British citizens to be able to vote and run for office in the overseas territories.
“The day the U.K. government seriously considers that persons who are not Caymanians can stand for office here, is the day I will lead the charge for independence,” he said. “Because that is akin to an attempt to take over the territory and to decide and impose their will on the direction the country should take.”
The report noted that the Cayman Premier stressed that the report “was drafted by a committee of Parliament and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.K. government.”
“The FCO committee is not a government committee. It is a committee of the Parliament,” he said. “It’s views don’t necessarily represent the views of the government. They don’t have power to impose on the territory; they make recommendations.”
The suggestions in the report were not warmly welcomed by Bermuda’s political leaders either, with Premier David Burt saying, “The right to vote is perhaps the most highly valued right in a democracy.
“To suggest that non-Bermudians should have the right to determine the direction of our country via the ballot box ignores the history of voting rights in Bermuda and is a tone-deaf recommendation which we will strenuously resist.”
The Premier’s position is supported by Opposition Leader Craig Cannonier, who previously said he agrees with the comments by Premier Burt and the “OBA will support efforts to resist this imposition” as “Bermuda’s future should be dictated by Bermudians.”
You can read the full story here on Cayman Compass.
Read More About
Category: All
I see you see it for what it is.
“The day the U.K. government seriously considers that persons who are not Caymanians can stand for office here, is the day I will lead the charge for independence,” he said. “Because that is akin to an attempt to take over the territory and to decide and impose their will on the direction the country should take.”
AGREE 100%. I am not in favour of independence generally, but something of this nature that might be forced upon my Country would certainly force me to change my mind.
I would like to see a requirement for all students to be taught about how our political system works so that they know what the role and responsibilities of locally elected officials are. Additionally, there could be opportunities made for educating the rest of the population too. I think the benefit would be worth the effort.