Hard on the heels of yesterday’s postponement of a final government-China Harbour Engineering Company deal, Dart Realty said on Monday its own ForCayman Alliance had also been put on hold.

Speaking to iNews Cayman, Jim Lammers, Managing Director of the Dart Realty partners in the proposed alliance with government, and director of parent company Dart Enterprises, said the scheduled November signing would not take place.

”To my knowledge that will not happen. I am not expecting it to happen,” he said.

“We continue to discuss matters with the government, but I wouldn’t say when a date might be set” for a final agreement, Mr Lammers said.

Announced in June by Premier McKeeva Bush and Dart Realty Executive Director Jackie Doak, the ForCayman Investment Alliance is a $1.2 billion, 30-year programme of infrastructure development and economic revitalisation involving hotels, roads, schools, parks and the relocation of the George Town Landfill.

Like the $300 million China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) pact, Mr Bush had vowed to finalise the Dart-government agreement in November.

London’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office – seeking concise financial management of CHEC’s proposed construction of cruise-ship berthing in George Town and Spotts Landing, and a visitor’s pier at the Cayman Turtle Farm – has delayed the project until 31 March, pending a KPMG cost-benefit analysis.

Mr Lammers did not say what had delayed the Dart-government agreement, only that it was indefinitely postponed.

“We are counting on getting the deal signed, but in terms of a time frame, I can’t say,” he said.

Rejecting suggestions of deeper problems, Mr Lammers said “from our perspective, we want to get this agreement in place, getting people back to work and providing economic stimulus, so we are hoping some of these things get brought to a close.”

Asked about 31 March Mr Lammers “would hope not” meaning that the delay would not be that long.

“I will say that the ball continues to be moving upwards. We remain bullish on the prospects of moving forward. There are different scenarios” for the outcome, he said, ”but we continue to think that there is so much we can do, that we are going to get across the finish line, but Christmas will not be coming in the next couple of days.”

Mr Bush was unavailable for comment yesterday, while his press office “had no information.” On a two-day visit to Kingston, the premier is studying government procurement processes in the wake of demands by both the UK government and Cayman’s Auditor General for better accountability.

Leader of the Opposition, Alden, McLaughlin said yesterday that the news about Dart was not surprising.

“You can only ignore due process for so long until something bad happens,” he told iNews Cayman. “I am not applauding the fact that someone has finally stuck it to Mr Bush, but a certain thought process is necessary with these kind of great projects.”

By ignoring due process, Mr McLaughlin said, “you are playjng on very fertile ground for corrupt activities. I don’t know if Dart is subject to the Financial Framework Agreement,” the UK document seeking improved financial management, “but there must be analysis and a need to get legal and economic advice on this.”