2025: A YEAR OF CHANGE COMING FOR CAYMAN

By Caymanian Times Editorial Board

2025 will be a year of change for the Cayman Islands.

The main change is most likely to be a(another?) new Premier.

We are hardly hedging out bets here since utterances by the incumbent Juliana O’Connor-Connolly of her New Year resolution to retire have been widely reported.

From her utterances locally, even at the last UK/Overseas Territories Joint Ministerial Conference in London in November, and as recently as a few weeks ago in her Cayman Brac constituency, the Premier has more than hinted at her intentions.

Unless there is some existential level threat to Cayman that warrants her ‘staying in place’, Premier O’Connor-Connolly by her own choice and schedule will demit office at the April election. She is also likely (again by her own suggestion) to bring the curtains down on her long political career.

That would mean filling her Cayman Brac East constituency as well as someone else taking over the leadership of Cayman.

But who? And how?

The preparations which may have been going in the background will surge to the foreground from January 2025 as its all to play for in the constitutionally due elections in April 2025.

That’s of course unless pending controversial legislation cause such an unsustainable political divisions in Parliament that catapults the country into earlier elections. Either than or it renders the Premier O’Connor-Connolly’s current minority government even more hamstrung than its been following the walkout of four key members last October.

Her post-PACT United Peoples Movement(UPM) government depends on Opposition support to push through key pieces of controversial planned pre-election legislation.

These are principally, the inclusion in the election of a referendum on building a cruise pier, a national lottery and decriminalising small amounts marijuana.

Who runs with whom and the shape of the probable next coalition will mark the next phase of Cayman’s future.

It will be highly anticipated and much debated - hopefully without the vitriol from some quarters that sullied the last election campaign.

Locally, 2025 will also see the start, re-start, review or resurgence of many policies key to both bolstering existing systems and even laying new foundations as Cayman moves forward.

Internationally, especially regarding relations with the United Kingdom and the United States, Cayman will no doubt continue its dialogue with the UK as a partner and high-profile player in the global economy.

In the case of the United States though, its largely expected to be status quo even with that country’s next president, Donald Trump stepping back into the White House for another term. In other words, being so intricately tied to the US economy, anywhere America goes Cayman is dragged along in its wake - local mitigating measures notwithstanding.

One thing that’s certain amidst the coming changes is that the good ship Cayman will continue to sail on in its true maritime tradition of navigating the ‘storms’ that it will no doubt encounter; both metaphorical and literal.

And your Caymanian Times will continue to be here keeping track of what makes Cayman tick.

For 2025, expect more stimulating content, new initiatives, thought-provoking perspectives, and informed and insightful coverage of the issues that matter to Cayman.

Happy New Year Cayman! Together we move forward...managing the changes as they come.