CAYMAN AT THE CROSSROADS. LET YOUR VOTE COUNT

Now that campaigning for the 2025 election campaign is into the final furlong, it will be all to play for between now and Election Day on April 30th.

Over the past weeks, it became apparent that the gloves were indeed coming off. What at one stage looked like a radical shift from the ‘independents-driven’ politics of recent Cayman history to a more party-centred approach might have lost some of its resonance.

There are still a handful of political heavy hitters holding their own and hoping for an inroad into government.

Their numbers might be smaller compared to the past several elections but their influence should not be ignored.

Indications at this stage point to political accommodations and marriages of convenience to form the next government.

The notable change is that this election is being contested for the first time in many years by three established political parties (as far as we can tell, not having seen their constitutions).

Whichever party forms the next government (we are confident that it will be a government led by one or a coalition of parties and independents) they will have to roll up their sleeves straight away to tackle the global issues confronting Cayman.

And these are indeed global issues both external in their source and local in their scale.

For possibly the first time there will be no time for a ‘settling in’ grace period.

Most of these issues have been highlighted in the campaign; from the recent indication that CIG has run up a massive budget deficit, immigration reform, the cost of living, education reforms, healthcare reform, pensions…the list is longer and they all demand immediate attention.

How the voters decide on the referendum questions of the cruise pier (which got minimal attention during the campaign), decriminalisation of cannabis and gambling(which received little or no attention) will also factor in.

Plus, on top of all that is the very future of Cayman as a recognised first-world player in the emerging new global reordering.

The impact on Cayman of the new trade war and ‘death of globalisation’ as the British Prime Minister put it, could be devastating if not carefully and skilfully managed.

The combination of those requires the best of our best in government.

That’s why voter apathy based on any crystal glass gazing predetermination of the outcome of the election must not be encouraged.

Every election is important. But this one on April 30th 2025 carries more implications for the future of Cayman than any other in our recent history.

Go out and vote. It’s more than a privilege. It’s your responsibility.

With Cayman at the crossroads, the future is really in your hands with that vote that you will cast. Make your mark. It matters.