Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands
Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Franz Manderson (Acting) | |
Structure | |
Seats |
19 (elected) 2 (ex officio) |
| |
Political groups |
Government (12) Official Opposition (5) Independent Member of the Opposition (1) Speaker (1) |
Elections | |
19 Single Member Constituencies using First past the Post | |
Last election | 24 May 2017 |
Meeting place | |
| |
Legislature Assembly Building George Town | |
Website | |
www.gov.ky |
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of the Cayman Islands |
---|
The Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands is the unicameral legislature of the British Overseas Territory of the Cayman Islands. It is composed of 21 members; 19 elected members for a four-year term and two members ex officio.[1]
The Governor may at any time, by Proclamation, prorogue or dissolve the Assembly. The Governor shall dissolve the Assembly at the expiration of four years from the date when the Assembly first meets after any general election unless it has been sooner dissolved. There shall be a general election at such time within two months after every dissolution of the Assembly as the Governor shall, by Proclamation, appoint. The first meeting of every session of the House shall, by Proclamation, be held on such day as the Governor shall appoint. A session usually consists of four meetings. A Meeting comprises several sittings.
In the elections of 8 November 2000, with a turnout of 80% only non-partisans were elected. After the election, conservative members of parliament formed the United Democratic Party. The conservative social democratic People's Progressive Movement formed in response and won the subsequent election.
Following the most recent election both established parties failed to attain the majority of seats in the legislature. The Progressives (PPM) , three of the nine elected independents and the Cayman Democratic Party (CDP) formed a historic national unity government. Progressive leader Alden McLaughlin secured a second term as Premier, with Cayman Democratic Party leader McKeeva Bush as Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.[2]
History
The first meeting to discuss the possible legislative future of the Cayman Islands took place on 5 December 1831 at Pedro St. James, a great house in the fertile area of Savannah on Grand Cayman. This building is the seat of parliamentary beginnings in the Cayman Islands.
By 1909 what got established as the Legislative Assembly of Justices and Vestry was meeting in the Court House on the waterfront in what is now the headquarters of the Cayman Islands National Museum, in front of Hog Sty Bay and the cruise passenger arrival terminal. The building served as the seat of government, the court house and the legislature. Now it is the home of the Cayman Islands National Museum.
The present Legislative Assembly building was built on the site of the former Princess Royal Park. The building design was the subject of some controversy when selected as the winner of an international architectural competition. Being the first poured concrete public building in Cayman, modern techniques were not yet in use, so the concrete was mixed on the street and poured pail by pail by a bucket brigade. The cornerstone was laid by Captain Rayal Brazly Bodden, MBE, JP, on 29 September 1971. The building was completed in July 1972.[3]
By 2003, the legislature had outgrown the space and the building was in need of renovating. Repair and refurbishment work on the building began in February 2003, which added more space through reconfiguration, and renovated and refurbished portions of the interior, including the main chamber.
The newly refurbished and expanded building was inaugurated with the opening of the Legislature session on 2 July 2004, two months before Hurricane Ivan, which almost completely devastated Grand Cayman over a two-day period (11–12 September 2004). The LA building withstood the storm with minor damage to its roof.
Nineteen members (Members of the Legislative Assembly, MLAs) are currently elected on a "one person, one vote" basis, following a Constitution Order in 2015.[1] This replaced the electoral system form the 2009 constitutional amendment (where 18 members were elected from five multi- and two single-member constituencies).[4] The two ex officio (appointed) members, the Deputy Governor and the Attorney-General, are appointed by the Governor.
Official Members
- Hon. Franz Manderson, MBE: Deputy Governor; First Official Member, Responsible for External Affairs
- Hon. Samuel W. Bulgin, JP, QC: Attorney General; Second Official Member, Responsible for Legal Affairs
Elected Members
Party key | People's Progressive Movement | |
---|---|---|
Cayman Democratic Party | ||
Independents |
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly
Member | Roles | ||
---|---|---|---|
Hon. McKeeva Bush | Speaker of the Legislative Assembly | Elected Member for West Bay West |
Government
Cabinet Ministers
Member | Roles | District | |
---|---|---|---|
Hon. Alden McLaughlin | Premier of the Cayman Islands; Minister of Human Resources, Immigration and Community Affairs | Elected Member for Red Bay | |
Hon. Moses Kirkconnell | Deputy Premier; Minister of District Administration, Tourism, and Transport | Elected Member for Cayman Brac West and Little Cayman | |
Hon. Juliana O'Connor-Connolly | Minister of Education, Youth, Sports, Agriculture and Lands | Elected Member for Cayman Brac East | |
Hon. Joseph Hew | Minister of Commerce, Planning and Infrastructure | Elected Member for George Town North | |
Hon. Roy McTaggart | Minister of Public Finance and Economic Development | Elected Member for George Town East | |
Hon. Dwayne Seymour | Minister of Health, Environment, Culture and Housing | Elected Member for Bodden Town East | |
Hon. Tara Rivers | Minister of Financial Services and Home Affairs | Elected Member for West Bay South |
Backbenchers
Member | District | |
---|---|---|
Mr. David Wight | Elected Member for George Town West | |
Mrs. Barbara Connolly | Elected Member for George Town South | |
Mr. Austin Harris | Elected Member for Prospect | |
Mr. Bernie Bush | Elected Member for West Bay North | |
Capt. Eugene Ebanks | Elected Member for West Bay Central | |
Opposition
Official Opposition Members
Member | Roles | District | |
---|---|---|---|
Hon. Ezzard Miller | Leader of the Opposition | Elected Member for North Side | |
Hon. Alva Suckoo | Deputy Leader of the Opposition | Elected Member for Newlands | |
Mr. Arden McLean | Elected Member for East End | ||
Mr. Anthony Eden | Elected Member for Savannah | ||
Mr. Christopher Saunders | Elected Member for Bodden Town West |
Independent Opposition Member
Member | District | |
---|---|---|
Mr. Kenneth Bryan | Elected Member for George Town Central |
While Kenneth Bryan ran and was elected as a independent he no longer caucuses with the official opposition due to differences in opinions between himself and members of the official Opposition, he sits in the Legislative Assembly as the singular independent member of the Opposition[5]
Results
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
People's Progressive Movement | 4,909 | 31.23 | 7 | –2 | |
Cayman Democratic Party | 3,786 | 24.08 | 3 | 0 | |
Independents | 7,026 | 44.69 | 9 | +7 | |
Total | 15,721 | 100 | 19 | +1 | |
Registered voters/turnout | 21,228 | 74.06 | – | – | |
Source: Elections Office |
Party | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
People's Progressive Movement | 21,859 | 36.1 | 9 | +4 | |
United Democratic Party | 16,816 | 27.8 | 3 | –6 | |
Coalition for Cayman | 11,275 | 18.6 | 3 | New | |
People's National Alliance | 3,436 | 5.7 | 1 | New | |
Independents | 7,212 | 11.9 | 2 | +1 | |
Total votes cast | 60,598 | 100 | 18 | +3 | |
Total voters | 14,760 | – | – | – | |
Registered voters/turnout | 18,492 | 79.82 | – | – |
Parties | Seats |
---|---|
United Democratic Party | 9 |
People's Progressive Movement | 5 |
Independents | 1 |
Total (turnout 80.25%) | 15 |
Source: Elections Office |
Parties | Seats |
---|---|
People's Progressive Movement | 9 |
United Democratic Party | 5 |
West Bay Alliance | - |
People's Democratic Alliance | - |
Independents | 1 |
Total (turnout 80.25%) | 15 |
Source: Elections Office |
See also
References
- 1 2 The Nineteen Single Member Electoral Districts Boundaries Order, 2015
- ↑ Smooth swearing-in for Progressives-led national unity government Cayman 27, 31 May 2017
- ↑ National Trust Cayman Islands – An Historical Walking Tour - Central George Town
- ↑ The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009
- ↑ ""Out of the shadows: Bryan parts with opposition"". Cayman Compass. August 22 2017. Retrieved 29 Aug 2018. Check date values in:
|date=
(help)