Current political developments in the Cayman Islands are once more highlighting the need for properly structured political parties necessary for a modern and developing society.
That conclusion was outlined by academic, former legislator, and political analyst Dr Roy Bodden appearing as a guest on the Caymanian Times podcast, Cayman Conversations with Ralph Lewis.
In the current edition, Dr Bodden lamented the lack of political parties as a main cause for what he feels amounts to a stifling dysfunction in the Cayman body politic.
“We have a constitution which is predicated upon the party system, and yet, we have an agglomeration of independents forming a government, making up a political directorate.”
“It is just not tenable,” he stressed (placing strong emphasis on each word), “because the system is built for a unitary organization.”
As explained by Dr Bodden, where there’s a grouping of individuals all with different political objectives, then it is difficult for one person to hold the dynamism and authority to keep them in line.
He was reflecting on the issues surrounding the latest fractures which this time just fell short of toppling yet another independents-led coalition government.
The recent abrupt and acrimonious departure of four independent members of the United People’s Movement (UPM) government led by Hon. Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, left it barely hanging on with a slim one-seat Cabinet majority but a parliamentary minority. The main Opposition People’s Progressive Movement(PPM) has pledged to give it support in backing what it called ‘critical’ legislation.
Analysing this situation on Cayman Conversations, Dr Bodden described it as disjointed and hoped that lessons would now be learnt on the value of having properly constituted political parties.
“Clearly, the political directorate does not understand the precarious position in which they were in, because had they understood that, they would have tried harder to remain more of a permanent force.”
Citing recurring examples of governments crumbling due to rifts within the groups of mainly independent members, Dr Bodden voiced concern over the recurring pattern of individuals loosely campaigning together and forming strategic governing coalitions rather than establishing lasting organised political parties.
There’s a worry that this could ultimately damage Cayman’s reputation of political stability and as a global financial centre.
“This unsettled business of us Caymanians failing to operate in unity for a significant time does not bode well for our political stability,” he cautioned.
“Given the record of the Cayman Islands and the reputation we have built, it is alarming when governments change the way that they have been over the past few years in the Cayman Islands. Normally, if the change happens after an election or as a result of an election that is understood, but when the government breaks down before an election that, as the expression proves, is a horse of a different colour.”
NEW BOOKS COMING!
A prolific author, Dr Bodden has three books in the works, two of which are due to be released next month.
A poetry collection titled ‘Trouble in the Streets’ along with a book of Caymanian short stories titled ‘The Legend of Long Celia, Woman of Blood, Bones and Other Stories’ will be published on December 7th.
Another work titled “Deconstructing Development,” will focus on immigration, society, and the economy of early 21st-century Cayman Islands. That upcoming book to be released next April is a sequel to the critically acclaimed ‘Cayman Islands in Transition’.
We appreciate your feedback. You can comment here with your pseudonym or real name. You can leave a comment with or without entering an email address. All comments will be reviewed before they are published.
Comments (0)
We appreciate your feedback. You can comment here with your pseudonym or real name. You can leave a comment with or without entering an email address. All comments will be reviewed before they are published.