The importance of Manifestos

A manifesto is a promissory note from politicians to the voters.

It’s more than mere promises and opinions.

Ever noticed how devoid they are of personal attacks that you hear on the campaign trail?

That’s because manifestos are serious documents and points of reference against which performance in government - and election promises made - can be judged and rated.

A manifesto should be a well-thought-out, realistic and achievable statement of intent.

Serious political debate, indepth media probing and voters being lobbied for their support, especially by candidates seeking re-election, are all built around manifestos.

We the electorate should be able to refer to the manifesto from the last campaign compare its contents with what has been achieved and question what’s left undone.

For new candidates, it's their sales pitch; what they will do for constituency and country detailed in black and white…and full colour generally.

It’s is clear that what the main priorities are for Cayman; the high cost of living (which seems to impact working-class Caymanians most), jobs for nationals, traffic congestion, preserving the environment, the dearth of affordable housing, the flood of high-end ‘developments’, when to re-open the borders, how to re-open the borders, what type of economy going forward, the education system, the pensions system, health insurance - and that’s to name just a few.

What’s really important is what the incumbents seeking re-election, the returning 2017 candidates, the pre-2017 candidates, and the 2021 aspirants proposing to do about these and other issues.

Cayman was already at the crossroads and the pandemic has added some more potholes.

Where do we go from here, how to get there and who is best to get us there are crucial questions that we need realistic answers to.

Cayman needs a plan. It starts with the manifestos of those with realistic answers and plans for solutions...not just opinions.