Cayman Islands elections postponed following Hurricane Ivan
Thursday, September 30, 2004
GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands: As a result of
the devastation caused to the Cayman islands by Hurricane Ivan, the general
elections that were due to be held on November 17, 2004 have been postponed
until next year. At a meeting between all 15
elected members of the legislative assembly and the Governor Mr Bruce Dinwiddy
on Tuesday, a consensus was reached that the general elections will now be
held on 17 May. 2005.
It is not yet clear whether or not the
electoral roll will be closed as of the list in force on the original election
date of 17 November 2004. Registration of new voters usually takes place every
three months, and it is therefore possible that 3,000 recipients of Caymanian
status (belongership) in September 2003 may be eligible to register and vote
in the postponed election. This would swell the list from 13,000 or so to over
15,000 potential voters. It is understood
that the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) had a preference for a November
2005 election, while the UK government suggested the May date. According to a
spokesperson for the opposition Peoples Progressive Movement, the PPM’s
preference was for an earlier date. In the
event, legislators have now agreed on a new date and one reason for holding
the elections earlier rather than later was reportedly to ensure the process
was over before the beginning of the new fiscal year in July.
Still to be determined is whether or not
modernisation of the constitution will take place prior to what is now the
2005 general election. Among the proposed
changes in the new constitution is the appointment of a chief minister, an
additional two elected seats for the assembly and provision for single member
constituencies. The time now presented by the postponement of the election
could very well provide an opportunity to establish the boundaries for single
member constituencies.
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