REFERENDUM LAW PASSES. NOW IT’S OVER TO THE VOTERS

By Staff Writer

In what is certain to be a prominent (and possibly dominant) topic in the campaign for the April 30th election, the Cayman Islands Parliament on Thursday, February 6th passed legislation for a referendum to be held as part of the upcoming poll.

The three-question non-binding referendum seeks voters’ responses on whether a cruise pier should be built, holding a national lottery, and whether possession of small quantities of cannabis should be decriminalised.

The depth of interest and passion surrounding the timing of the referendum and the selected issues was evident during the Parliamentary debate - with even premature reports that the legislation had passed.

The referendum bill had only in fact cleared the second hurdle of the Parliamentary process on Wednesday night by a vote of 13 in favour and five against in the Second Reading of the bill. It was only finally passed in the Third Reading on Thursday night with a changed vote of 11 in favour, four against, and three members absent.

Despite the difference in the vote count between the two voting stages, the bill nevertheless passed with a resounding majority.

Its passage was guaranteed by the main opposition People’s Progressive Party(PPM/Progressives) assuring the minority UPM (United People’s Movement) government of its support on the issue.

The four defected UPM members opposed the referendum bill amidst criticism that they were part of the Cabinet collective responsibility that had previously decided to hold it.

But speaking during the debate, MLA Andre Ebanks formerly UPM Deputy Premier who now leads the new Cayman Islands Community Party (TCCP) largely formed of the disaffected UPM members, sought to explain the internal divisions, including rifts over the referendum and cruise pier issue which led to their split from the government.

Echoing comments made by his TCCP colleagues, he stated: “It does not require a referendum. It requires leadership”, and chided MPs supporting the referendum of “dodging their responsibilities”.

According to the TCCP leader, the issues in the referendum should have been brought to Parliament to be debated “because that’s what the people elected us to do.” He also stated that the time for an adequate awareness campaign between now and the April 30th election date was insufficient.

Particularly on the contentious cruise pier issue, Mr Ebanks called the referendum “a smokescreen” to divert attention from addressing matters affecting the cruise and wider tourism industry.

“The TCCP will not participate in a smokescreen,” he insisted.

Of the three issues included in the referendum - building a cruise pier, decriminalising small amounts of cannabis(marijuana/ganja) and holding a national lottery - it is the cruise pier topic which has attracted the most attention and controversy...again.

The long-running contentious issue already seems set to dominate the campaign platforms, public conversations and organised debates during the election campaign.

The rifts over the referendum, particularly the cruise pier, have been further highlighted in statements from two local organisations championing the issue from opposing sides.

The Association for Cruise Tourism (ACT) in the Cayman Islands said it is “celebrating a hard-fought victory” following the Parliamentary vote.

“This is exactly the outcome ACT has worked tirelessly to achieve,” ACT’s Executive Program Manager Ellio Solomon said in a statement.

He called it “a major step toward aligning Cayman’s cruise berthing infrastructure with modern standards, and we are proud that our efforts have ensured the voices of Caymanians will be heard on this critical issue.”

Solomon, a former parliamentarian, also said ACT will continue to push for transparency, education and dialogue “to ensure the best possible outcome for all Caymanians.”

On the other side of the argument, CPR Cayman (Cruise Port Referendum) remains opposed to the idea citing a lack of transparency, lack of referendum regulations, foreign interference and inadequate information among its concerns.

“To date, the Government has provided no transparency regarding the proposed cruise berthing facility which it is asking the public to vote on. There has been no disclosure of a detailed plan, cost projections, location analysis, or environmental impact assessments—critical data that should be available before Caymanians are asked to make a decision of this magnitude,” it said in response to the vote to hold the referendum.

CPR Cayman said it believes that local cruise operators are essential contributors to the tourism economy and that their long-term success must be protected.

“However the push for mass cruise tourism at the proposed magnitude will not benefit local businesses, but large international cruise lines seeking to reshape Cayman’s tourism landscape in ways that may not align with our island’s long-term best interests,” it cautioned.

(All images credited to Ministry of Tourism and Ports)