New Government formed by Independents

Early this morning, the 10 Independent candidates elected following yesterday's General Election (noted further below) met and agreed the following:

Speaker of the House: Alric Lindsay

Premier: Wayne Panton

Deputy Premier: Chris Saunders

Premier Designate, Wayne Panton officially met with the Governor this morning to formally request that the Parliament be called to convene on Wednesday, 21st April @10am to swear in members and formally elect the Premier under Section 49(3) of the Cayman Islands Constitution.

Premier Designate, Wayne Panton said:

“The elections are over, the people have spoken, and it is time to get on with the business of making people’s lives better. I am delighted, impressed, and inspired by the level of maturity shown by the elected Independent members to put aside political differences that arose on the campaign to work in the best interest of our Islands.

All of us who decided to step into the public arena did so to make a positive difference to the communities we serve. Many good people were unsuccessful at the polls but still have a lot to offer. Alric Lindsay is one such individual. As Speaker of the House, he will bring the much-needed articulation and maturity to the role.

The Government that I am humbled to lead will be People driven, Accountable, Competent and Transparent (PACT). We are all humbled by the electorate's trust and recognise that we have much work to do and are ready and willing to work on your behalf.”

Premier Designate, Wayne Panton, concluded:

“I am tremendously proud that the 10 Independent candidates have joined together, in a decisive and cohesive fashion, to commence the process of forming a new government. Although PACT has the majority and are committed to that as a government, we will demonstrate to the country a refreshing and new approach by being open to other elected members joining in order to carry out the wishes of the electorate to form an inclusive coalition to work in the best overall interests of the country.’’

To confirm, the 10 Independent candidates referred to above are as follows:

G. Wayne Panton – MP Elect, Newlands

Christopher Selvin Saunders – MP Elect, Bodden Town West

Johany S. “Jay” Ebanks – MP Elect, North Side

Kenneth Vernon Bryan – MP Elect, George Town Central

Isaac Douglas Rankine – MP Elect, East End

Bernie Alfredo Bush – MP Elect, West Bay North

Katherine Ebanks-Wilks – MP Elect, West Bay Central

Andre Martin Ebanks – MP Elect, West Bay South

Sabrina Turner – MP Elect, Prospect

Heather Dianne Bodden – MP Elect, Savannah