(CNS): In an unexpected turn of events, what was predicted to be a very high turnout at the 2013 General Election ended with a final number of voters below the percentage turnout of the 2009 national ballot. Although a record 14,760 people were polled, that represented only 79.94% of the voting population, falling below the 80.54% at the last election. While East End had the highest turnout with more than 87.3% of registered voters polled, in the neighbouring district of North Side the lowest percentage voted, with just over 78.3% of voters going to the polls. Meanwhile, in West Bay and the Sister Islands more than 80% of voters turned out and in Bodden Town just under 80%. In the capital of George Town 79.3% of registered voters were polled.

(CNS): By 5pm this evening 14,183 registered voters had cast their vote in the 2013 General Election. With one hour to go, almost 77% of the electorate had already been polled in what turned out to be a calm and well organised Election Day. After ten hours of voting 14,183 people had taken part in the national ballot. Last minute voters were being warned that unless they were in line at a polling station by 6pm they would not be allowed in to vote. Election officials were hoping to cope with any last minute surge efficiently to avoid a delay in the poll closing and the start of the count. Voter turn out in East End was already at 82% by 5pm and West Bay and George Town polled more than 77% of their electorates.

(CNS): As expected, the Cayman electorate is still coming out in significant numbers and combined with mobile votes and postal ballots 11, 084 registered voters had all exercised their democratic right before 1pm Wednesday. More than 60% of voters had already taken part by lunchtime, with the capital leading the turnout with over 62% of voters polled. Bodden Town had the lowest turnout at lunch time with over 57%, but with 5 hours to go election officials said the numbers were re-enforcing expectations of a very high turnout. Duncan Taylor, the Cayman Islands governor, urged everyone who was eligible to go to the polls beore they close.

(CNS): Over 8,500 voters have now voted in Cayman's general election, including five prisoners from HMP Northward who are on remand or convicted of lesser offences and had registered to vote. More than 46% of the electorate has already voted in what is expected to be a record-breaking turn out. The polls opened this morning at 7am and by 11am almost half of those who are eligible to do so had exercised their right to vote. In addition to mobile and postal ballots already received, in East End 49.3% have now voted and in North Side 43.07%. In Bodden Town 45.08%  and in West Bay 45.15% in Cayman Brac and Little Cayman 47.79% have been to the polls, while in the capital of George Town 46.88% of registered voters have voted.

(CNS): In the first two hours of polling 20% of the electorate cast their vote at local stations for the 2013 General Elections. Combined with mobile and postal ballots, by 9am almost 27% of all voters had aleady made their choice in the largest ever election in Cayman. In Bodden Town 1,141 voters were polled in the first two hours in addition to postal and mobile votes. 828 have voted in West Bay, while in George Town 2,044 voters have already cast their vote. In East End 196 and in North Side 157 people have voted. Over in the Sister Islands more than 300 people have already been polled.

(CNS): The polling stations in Cayman opened on time this morning and election officials are expecting one of the largest turnouts of electors Cayman has ever seen. Historically, Cayman has usually voted in significant numbers, with a greater than 80% turnout for most elections, but this time the Elections Office is predicting a turnout that could approach 90%. With 56 candidates in the race, 21 in George Town alone, almost 18,500 eligible voters, more than 7,500 of which are in the capital, the final result is not expected until Thursday morning. The polls are open until 6pm this evening and officials are reminding people of the rules and how many votes they have.

(CNS): The former premier of the Cayman Islands, who is still very much in the running to be the leader of the next government, was hurling last minute allegations on Facebook Tuesday night when he posted a statement accusing his former UDP colleagues, the PPM leader and the independent member for East End of also using government credit cards for personal use. McKeeva Bush accused the governor of carrying out a “vindictive attack” on his government. He claimed that the use of the credit card was for his personal security and that the governor ousted him from office with support from Rolston Anglin, Cline Glidden, Arden McLean, Alden McLaughlin, and the C4C candidates and their management.

(CNS): A stalwart of Cayman politics, Edna Moyle, a former Speaker of the House and representative for North Side for four terms, passed away at the Cayman Islands Hospital, George Town this afternoon (21 May). A mother of five, she was a founding member of the People’s Progressive Movement and served as speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2005 until 2009. An experienced legislator and politician, Moyle lost her battle with cancer after being ill for several months on the eve of the 2013 election. With a long career in in politics, Moyle began as secretary to the Administrator of the Cayman Islands in 1966 to 1969, then became deputy clerk of the Legislative Assembly in 1971 until 1979. A working mother throughout her life, she also championed the cause of women.

(CNS): A group of Cuban refugees which includes several people who have landed and been deported from Cayman before has turned up in Little Cayman. The group of thirty migrants which includes one woman developed engine trouble near Cayman Brac this morning. However, the refuges pressed on after the weather cleared, stating that they were on their way to Honduras, but instead ended up in Little Cayman. It is not clear where the migrants are now but immigration officials say the group includes a number of repeat travellers, including one person who has been to the Cayman Islands three times previously.
 

(CNS): Five attempted murders in the first three months of 2013 along with four cases of defilement compared to only one arrest for those crimes in the first quarter of 2012, plus a surge in burglaries have all helped to  push up local crime statistics. Figures released by the RCIPS this week show that there were 123 burglaries between January and March this year compared to 98 during the same period in 2012, a more than 25% increase. Despite one less robbery, two less firearms possession and a major fall in cases of wounding and GBH compared to 2012, the 400% increase in attempted murder has pushed up what should have been a fall in violent crime.

(CNS): Kent McTaggart, who had planned to enter the race in Bodden Town before he was forced to withdraw as a result of the election law requirements regarding residency, has given his backing to a party candidate as well as another non-coalition independent. McTaggart has endorsed both Al Suckoo from the PPM and Charles Clifford, a former PPM member and now independent candidate who has already stated he will support the PPM to form government if they have the largest group. A staunch advocate for the anti-party movement, McTaggart is asking his supporters to vote for Suckoo, as he says he will put Cayman first, despite being a party member.

(CNS): While The Jamaica Gleaner has claimed that CNS has been threatened with a law suit over a recent article, neither this media house nor CNS journalist Wendy Ledger have received any such threat. Following the publication of an article which revealed that the RCIPS and the Cayman Islands Anti-Corruption Committee were investigating a money transfer made to the University College of the Caribbean (UCC) of US$1 million in relation to the honorary doctorate that the former Cayman Islands premier was scheduled to receive, the UCC chancellor, Dr Herbert Thompson (left), demanded that CNS publish the full correspondence between him and Ledger, but we have received no request to remove the article or any specific complaints of factual error.

(CNS): Despite the commitments and promises made by all of the parties, groups and independents on the campaign trail, whichever group of politicians ends up forming government over the next week or so will be very limited in what they can do. How the budget will look for the next two to three years has already been agreed with the UK; the major cuts in spending being promised are likely to take several years to have any affect; and with the UK demanding that CIG return significant surpluses until it is back within its own legal parameters for its borrowing ratios, the next government will find it difficult to cut the fees and taxes and also spend money on the projects and initiatives they are promising.

(CNS): Following a weekend when both the political parties and independent candidates were putting on shows of force across the islands with motorcades and rallies, the question of who will be premier on Thursday remains uncertain. Despite his long list of criminal charges and the latest revelations concerning a $1 million transfer to a Caribbean university in connection with an honorary doctorate, McKeeva Bush is still very much a contender for the top job. Even though no one outside of the UDP is willing to work with the former premier, Bush may just squeeze a majority depending on how close the vote is between his and his opponents' candidates in the capital as a result of the split vote.

(CNS): The troubles at the Cayman Islands Airports Authority are continuing as the former financial controller at the government authority is seeking the court’s intervention in the decision by the board to sack her last year. Shelly Ware has filed a judicial review stating that she wants her job back and a finding from the courts that not only was there no misconduct on her part but that she was an exemplary employee. Following an internal audit conducted by one of the directors on the board, Ware was fired by the board chair, Richard Arch, in December 2012 after more than three years at the airport. Ware states in her application that she was never given an opportunity to respond and that the chair did not have the authority to sack her in the first place.