IEyeNews

iLocal News Archives

The Editor Speaks: Referendum result is over; now the healing can begin

One cannot say that the Cayman Islands public has had a dose of voter apathy with a voting turnout of 57% compared to 80% at the general elections. The reason is simple. Only the people who wanted to vote “Yes” to the principle of One Man One Vote (OMOV) needed to turn up at the Voting Station and vote. A stay at home or go to the beach counted as a “No.” Therefore, the voting turnout percentage was obviously going to be less.

Now it is over it is time for the government to start governing and healing the division there is in this country. If they put out an olive branch I hope it is accepted by the opposition.

We badly need some healing from the vicious rhetoric that has gone on unabated over the weeks leading up to the referendum and even resulted in something I never thought I would see here on our islands. A number of polling stations have been defaced!

I could hear the disgust in his voice as he announced the defacing of guide posters saying it “was unheard of in elections in the Cayman Islands.” Vandals had written  “Vote No” or “Vote Yes” on information posters at the polling stations in an effort to influence the outcome.

Cayman must move on. We have another election to “look forward to” but the main item on the agenda is getting a realistic and balanced budget agreed without snide remarks at the United Kingdom, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and H.E. the Governor for the extra work and time it has taken.

We do not want to hear any more nasty shots aimed at the Auditor General for doing his job.

We want the CHEC problem resolved with everyone happy. Yes. I know I’m believing in fairies now but we have got to get a firm contract in place and work started on our cruise ship terminal as we are heading for disaster.

We have got to bite the bullet and come to see that Dart isn’t the Devil and he isn’t a saint either. He is a businessman and we are broke! But we are in no position to say “No” to everything he has proposed (and has secret agreements for) without something else sensible proposed in its place.

We have to get rid of the George Town landfill. It has been on my back door for years. So is the sewage farm. Wherever the landfill goes it has to go somewhere and no one has died from it in the highest populated area in Grand Cayman to my knowledge. The one proposed is a lot more hygienic than the one I’ve been living next door to for thirty years!

Not every one of us is pleased at the result of the Referendum but let’s get on. The sun still came up this morning. The birds were still singing in the trees. And we are still alive.

Now where’s that Band Aid box?

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *