Apathy will be ‘No’ vote
Posted on Tue, 05/15/2012 - 13:09 in Politics
(CNS): The members of the movement promoting a ‘yes’ vote in the upcoming referendum on one man, one vote (OMOV) are warning that anyone who stays home on polling day will be voting ‘no’. As a result of the government’s efforts to defeat his own referendum, the requirement of 50% plus one voter to carry a 'yes' result means anyone who supports one man, one vote and is already a registered voter but does not go to the polls on Wednesday 18 July will be voting ‘No’. Sharon Roulstone, one of the campaign co-ordinators, urged everyone to make sure they go out and vote.
“Not coming out to vote equates to a ‘no’ because of the threshold set by government,” Roulstone said. “If you are on the list and you are not aware or you are not here, if you don’t vote you will be voting against the proposition of one man, one vote and single member constituencies. We cannot stress enough to people who support OMOV that they need to come out and vote or ensure they are registered for an absentee vote.”
The government’s opposition to one man one vote and single member constituencies means that it will be throwing all of its weight and public sector resources behind the no campaign, which will also benefit from apathetic voters. The short notice for the referendum, which has seen access to the electoral roll already closed for new voters, the choice of a summer polling day when many people are away and the decision to treat the poll like a people initiated vote requiring a 50% plus one vote as opposed to a simple majority of voters that turn out are all points in favour of a 'no' result.
With an electoral roll of just over 15,000 people, the campaigners have set a goal of 8,000 'yes' votes to ensure a clear and emphatic result, but with a number of obstacles in the referendum’s path, all of the campaigners admit it is a challenge. However, Roulstone said that she does not believe the difficulties are insurmountable.
“I accept that it is going to be a challenge but I feel we can prevail,” she said, adding that in the privacy of the polling booth she believed the voters would carry the day and introduce a fair and equitable system.
Although in need of cash and all hands on deck, the OMOV campaign has launched into full swing with an advertising campaign, a bank account for sponsors, a dedicated website and a direct email address for voters to contact the campaigners for any information they may need.
A group of supporters for the OMOV campaign also appeared on Rooster’s morning show, Cayman CrossTalk, on Tuesday morning, where they spoke about the equity, of one man, one vote and single member constituencies.
Despite claims by the premier that the multi-member system is not broken so it doesn’t need fixing, Johann Moxam said he did not believe that many people really think that the current system works. He pointed out that for many years, although paid “handsomely to sit in the Assembly” several MLAs from the multi-member constituencies have been able to hide from their constituents and dodge their accountability, appearing once every four years.
Appealing for everyone to help, Moxam said that if people couldn’t give cash they could give time but the most important thing was to come out to the polls on referendum day and vote ‘yes’ in the national ballot.
“Anybody who believes in transparency, accountability and equity will support this,” he said. “We are trying to bring real change as the next generation is demanding more and we will make history in the Cayman Islands,” Moxam added.
For more information visit www.onemanonevote.ky or email oneman.cayman@gmail.com or contact anyone on list of individuals here to ask questions or learn more about the campaign.
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I am confused! First the
I am confused! First the Premier McKeeva Bush responds mARCH 27 2012 to a concerned group of citizens stating "As I announced, I will hold a Public Meeting again as is my duty, to continue giving factual information to the people who elected me" (Clearly one should REMEMBER THAT regardless of WHO VOTES FOR YOU, YOU HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO REPRESENT ALL REGISTERED VOTERS/THE COUNTRY (INCLUDING THOSE WHO DID NOT VOTE FOR YOU)
And now after his own Administration declares it a "Matter of National importance to hold a referendum for One Man One Vote for July 18, 2012 he immediately starts bashing the/his Government's decision to hold a referendum with his "No Vote" statements that he “served everyone” who came to his door, no matter where they were from." (That seems different from what his letter said?!)
Additionally, I will not fall for the Premier's fear driving poor advise "My advice is going to be to stay put, hold the course for a united Cayman," he said. “Don’t let them take your votes.” He said he believed the people would not change a system that worked for one that they didn’t know. (DID WE ALWAYS KNOW THE PARTY SYSTEM WOULD WORK?) No one is taking anything from me- I want everyone to have an EQUAL VOTING VOICE. OMOV does not claim to be perfect and does not remove anyone from re-electing the Premier in his own district come next election if he gets the majority of votes.
Bush has persistently billed OMOV as an unknown that will require a “steep learning curve” for the people of Cayman to comprehend. (I thought we were not foo-fools??!!)
The premier also argued that uncertainty surrounding what voting system Cayman would use could scare away potential investors. - We are not discussing independence- we are discussing equal voting rights as to who we want to to represent us within our own community
http://www.caymannewsservice.com/politics/2012/05/10/mac-sets-out-anti-omov-stall
I believe and support OMOV- I will continue to follow, educate and listen. I will NOT allow fear based statements (that should be framed as questions to allow for public participation and education) drive me into an apathetic state of non-participation. I am not afraid to turn fear mongering statements into legitimate questions that should be discussed for better understanding.
BTW: An education campaign should not tell people WHAT to think- merely provide factual information (that can be supported with evidence) on both sides of a matter- You had one thing right -I am no foo-fool.
The 6 District Wide
The 6 District Wide Elections (as we have now) is closer to National Elections (where everyone votes for all 18) than having the island split into 18 separate small enclaves.
BUT I have no problem giving the smaller districts the same number of votes (4) as i have now.
Let everyone in East End, North Side and The Sister Ialnds have 4 votes to send 4 reps to the LA based on 1 having to represent East End, One having to represent North Side and Two having to represent North Side.
Give Bodden Town one extra seat so they also get b4 votes.
The extra 2 seats make them national seats
After reading all these
After reading all these comments this is the one thought that came to mind.
'In the Country of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King'.
It basically means; A person who is not particularly capable can attain a powerful position if the people around him or her are even less capable.
This is where, I feel, we are living.
We have a choice, make the right ONE.
I support 'One Man, One Vote'
I support 'One Man, One Vote' and shall indeed vote in the July 2012 referendum.
I was just thinking about
I was just thinking about something that happened in our last election where certain people who was telling voters who to vote for and nothing was done to those persons. I hope this time it will go fair. DO YOUR JOB RCIP!!
I don't know. One thing about
I don't know. One thing about Mac - when he says don't VOTE for something, he usually sees something in the future that takes away more from our democracy. Ironically, he said NO to the constitution in 2009, and look at us today under that constitution with him being Premier. So that Mac says dont vote for the OMOV, I believe he may just be advising the public right.
YES!!! The ol' reverse
YES!!! The ol' reverse psychology trick!!
I remember that from the Get Smart series!!! Dingdongs fell for it every time!
I think either way would be
I think either way would be unfair as if we only count those who vote then in a way those who don't vote are voting yes. So what we need to do is encourage more people to vote and this is in general not just for omov. Maybe we could follow a few other countries and start fining people if they don't vote on these things. My two cents.
The reoccurring theme
The reoccurring theme throughout these threads is that this referandum is to get rid of Bush and the UDP. That in itself turns off the people who would normally vote UDP in an election.
The committee getting up on the stage with the PPM, Ezzard and Dr. Frank made it poiitical and one-sided despite what Ms. Roulstone and MR. McTaggart says. The committe had no business being on the stage of a PPM political campaign meeting. They should have stayed out of the fray but typical Cayman we get polarized towards party and alienate people that we shouldn't have.
Now educate me as to why I must vote one way or the other, I haven't made up my mind yet. Have to tell you though so far I don't like what I see. Let's be genuine and honest and not have other political agendas hidden somewhere in the background.
This so called "vote" will be
This so called "vote" will be decided by those who are too lazy, too busy, not registered, or only educated up to 5th grade. Who thought this up again?
Unbelievable at some of the
Unbelievable at some of the non sensical, dont care and ignorant comments to this thread. I for one will make a special trip to Cayman if needed just to vote! Caymans society has certainly gone down with morality and ethical thinking process. I will be leaving Central America to VOTE!
Apathy and fear are a
Apathy and fear are a dictator's best friends.
And Lies an oppositions. The
And Lies an oppositions. The leader of the opposition and the member from NS has spent a lot of time "spinning" and creating division in this country. Anyone who would post in reference to dictatorship in a country ruled by England is a liar or an idiot. How in the hell can this country have dictators when it’s ruled by another country with ALL of its decisions being approved by England? Further, the leader of the opposition and the PPM members need to issue and apology to the people of this country for spending this countries money to the point where, after decades, our financial planning is now controlled by England.
Just to clarify, essentially
Just to clarify, essentially if your vote is 'no' then you get a free holiday off work and don't have to go stand in line?
Perfect!
All of you that vote NO. Stay home or go fishnen or whatever you like.
That is so cool. Who thought of this?
LOL
Pros and Cons from the EBC
Pros and Cons from the EBC report 2010:
16. Single-Member Districts/Constituencies
The advantages of single-member districts are as follows:
• They provide voters with strong constituency representation, because each has a
single district representative who is easily identifiable;
• They facilitate voters with a readily identifiable representative to whom concerns
can be addressed;
• They maximize accountability as a single representative can be held responsible
and can be re-elected or defeated at the next election; and
• They ensure geographic representation.
The disadvantages of Single-Member Districts are as follows:
• They must be re-drawn on a regular basis to maintain populations of relative
equal size;
• They are usually artificial geographic entities whose boundaries do not delineate
clearly identifiable communities, and as a consequence, the entities may have no
particular relevance to citizens;
• They often do not produce proportional representation for political parties,
because of their tendency to over-represent the majority party under-represent
other party.
oh happy day! I can stay home
oh happy day! I can stay home and still vote the way i want to "NO".
Lazy assed people. The same
Lazy assed people. The same reason our country is going to hell today.
I would hope that the current
I would hope that the current leaders of government are FAIR and make sure they WILL treat this election day as they would If it was the general elections. They too need to recruit the people out to come and vote! Radio cayman and all government PR's should INSURE they display the same enthsiasm they would come next year.
Stop the stupid bully attitude UDP. People are getting tired of the immaturity! As we would say....."it get'n stale now".
We nah voting against the government enuh, we voting for the fairness for country! Our fore fathers and mothers worked hard to place us in the position of comfort. They didn't set us up for failure! Show respect and LEAD!
I am one of the non-
I am one of the non- naturalised status holders who has just discovered thanks to Cayman 27 the other evening that I have been able to vote since 2009 .
However due to my ignorance of this I have missed the registration date April 1st, so I have no say in the upcoming referendum... a process that will affect my voting abitities for the rest of my life.. There are many more out there in the same boat. I'm sure.
Given that this referendum concerns such a fundemental right , affecting so many of us,would it beyound our Governer as" head of state" to intervene and decree that the cut off date be moved forward so that any person that is currently eligable but unregistered to be an elector be allowed added to the electorial role? After all the issue is only about timing and not eligability . Or maybe an emergency act of cabinet in the spirit of fairness? There is still ample time for the required 21 days scrutiny of the new role..
Cayman 27 is wrong. You
Cayman 27 is wrong. You will be asked to provide PROOF OF STATUS and NATURALISATION CERTIFICATE. Elections Officer Supervisors will take copies and give them back to you along with ID and copy of your application form. See requirements from Elections Office website. Official Register comes out quarterly, so the next one is on July 1st with plenty of time remaining for those that qualify and get off their butts. Geez, this isn't that hard!
http://www.electionsoffice.ky/cms/
When applying to the Elections Office to be registered as an elector using form 4, the following original documents are required when submitting your application to the Registering Officer for your district or to the Elections Office.
Original documents needed for CAYMANIAN STATUS HOLDER: (Items # 1, 4 and 5 on the Form 4 application.)
Actually, Cayman News 27 is
Actually, Cayman News 27 is completely correct. The Elections Law (2009 Revision) (which refers to the requirements of the 1972 Constitution) needs to be amended to reflect the voter eligibility criteria of the 2009 Constitution which says that you need only be a status holder to vote and do not have to be naturalised.
well, an unfortunate lesson
well, an unfortunate lesson to learn, but it does go to show we each have a responsibility to ourselves to ensure that we are fully informed on matters and not relay on heresay, blogs, marl road, etc. Hopefull you have now registered for the next electoral list to be produced in July enabling you to vote in the next general election.
I support OM(P)OV, but
I support OM(P)OV, but an abstention is as valid as a direct yes or no vote, and to suggest otherwise is constitutionally ignorant. Voters may wish to protest against the wording of the question being used, or may wish to object to the way Bush has designed the refererdum to absoluetly guarantee it fails. The suggestion that an abstention is a vote for the no campaign can only be made because evberyone knows the protocl has been deliberatly rigged to fail!
If the yes campaign wishes to make a good attempt at a positive outcome, it cannot rely on education alone. The only thing to do now is to hire every single bus on the island and literally pick yes voters out of their armchairs on 18 July and physically deliver them to polling booths.
I thank God that most
I thank God that most Caymanians who are registered voters are not as ignorant as our leaders and their handful of moronic followers. I know the intelligent amongst us will come out and do the right thing....VOTE YES....In doing so we will also help the ignorant and uneduccated even though they vcan't see that yet. For "There are none so blind as those who WILL NOT see".
Given this is not the first
Given this is not the first term for our mired prem, perhaps the collective intelligence of the electorate should be at issue?
Funny how these party
Funny how these party poliricians work. When they want something to go their way, then they encourage you to vote etc after they get what they want they dont know ppl, dont answer their calls etc
I will enjoy my holiday!!! Can't wait till may to see allthe friendly politicians walking the streets exercising again and talking to everybody, dont need stop at my house!! All these years of Bull from both parties has ruined my stomach cant handle anymore!!!
Indepedent candidates step on forward!!
If you want independents,
If you want independents, especially independents who can be held accountable and obliged to properly perform their public duties, then OMOV is perfect way to accommodate and encourage independents. If, like me, you feel so strongly about constantly being let-down by the current political candidates, then perhaps you should take just a little time out on your holiday to go and vote 'yes'.
Stay home you fools, you all
Stay home you fools, you all will be the first ones to complain when things go bad here in the Caymans.
Anyway I dont need any assistance from anyone, much less Mr. Bush and his crew. I am financially secured for life and my children and their children will also be. Just like Mr. Bush children and his grandchildren, but I too will be voting "YES" it is the right thing to do...
One more thing my entire family can pack up and leave this island we call home for some 30yrs now, but tell me something where will YOU be going.. I guess you have a "NO" plan..
My Caymanian family and friends, go and vote "YES".
Paper "RICH" Caymanian
Judging by some of the posts
Judging by some of the posts here it is truly frightening how ignorant some people are as to what one fractionally educated misfit is being allowed to do to our country. God help us.
I watched all to carefully at
I watched all to carefully at what a more than fractionally educated person did to Cayman's ecnomy between 2005 and 2009. I watched as this arrogant group almost forced direct taxation on us. I'll certainly agree that both choices are bad, but given the choice between the kind of corruptin we have today (and in 2004) or complete economic ineptitude, I'd choose the former any day of the week because that's less likely to impact me and my business. And why is it that when some people disagree with others, they have to call them ignorant. Next time you pray, pray for some tolerance.
Some form of direct taxation
Some form of direct taxation would serve the average Caymanian much better than the current system of indirect taxes which benefits the wealthy. E.g. the tax on fuel (which increases both your electricity bill and your gas bill at the pump) falls disproportionately on poor people and those who travel long distances to work, but it means little to the wealthy. The present govt. made that situation worse by increasing the tax on fuel.
Corruption affects all of us,
Corruption affects all of us, dimwit. It is like a cancer - subtle at first but gradually takes over the whole body unless it is decisively dealt with. If we happily accept it, or tolerate it, it will destroy us.
Corruption impairs sound decision making in the interests of these Islands. It ensures that that the rich and well-connected get richer and the poor and disenfranchised get poorer. It creates injustice. Soon simple administrative decisions won't be made unless palms are greased.
It is just a white collar form of lawlessness and lawlessness filters down from corridors of power to the street. It is no surprise that we have rapes, robberies and murders.
I don't decide for you what
I don't decide for you what you should pray for and I would greatly appreciate if you could find it within you to show me the same respect. Besides the people of this country have definitely shown more than their fair share of tolerance towards our current gowerment.
You said it - you prefer
You said it - you prefer corruption. No guesses who you support. It is scary that much of our population view corruption as acceptable and in fact many think it is
The problem is that today we have both corruption and economic ineptitude.
I guess the term
I guess the term "fractionally educated" hit a raw nerve with you personally, especially if you think the style of governance by the current uncumbents is right
so corruption is good for big
so corruption is good for big busines? who would have thought.
dey say if you stay home you
dey say if you stay home you say no.................. well bobo's and td's a ga show up but a ga still wote no. lmao
It is somewhat comforting at
It is somewhat comforting at least that you enjoy being among intelligent people enough to show up.
Bravo, Ms Roulstone! You are
Bravo, Ms Roulstone! You are just the sort of candidate the PPM needs to give them some new blood and an injection of fire and intelligence. You have my vote.
Oh dear ...
Oh dear ...
I will definitely vote YES to
I will definitely vote YES to OMOV!
If ever a subject has shown the number of ignorant Caymanians who have the ability to affect the rest of us it is this referendum.
It is impossible to imagine how anyone can be so stupid as to not realise the benefits of One person One vote.
It is because of these ignorant, apathetic, work shy idiots that we have the government that we have ...a lot of sheep bribed into following a leader XXXXXX
The idiots who want to keep the feudal voting system that we have are the same ones who have been leaches on this country's economy only making money by selling the land that their ancestors left them or by illegal means.
This society is being "dumbed down" to their level by a bunch of "do gooders" instead of trying to drag them up to a reasonable level of intelligence.
God help Cayman...because as sure as H*** these idiots won't.
I'll be staying home, and
I'll be staying home, and effectively voting no. I can't wait for this OMOV issue to be over. I'm sick amd tired of hearing about it now. You all couldn't leave it alone until the next election, you just had to push and push. Well, McKeeva sure showed you how to take the wind out of a sail. You should have left it alone!
McKeeva out monuervers them
McKeeva out monuervers them again!
You must be a UDP supporter
You must be a UDP supporter because you spelled "monuervers" wrong. It should be 'McKeeva out-maneuvers himself again'.
The constitution referendum
The constitution referendum should have had the same high threshold. We have a constitution that more than half of the voting public did not want. Not right!
I totally agree.
I totally agree.
Referendums, even
Referendums, even constitutional referendums, normally require only a simple majority of those voting although sometimes a certain minimum turnout, e.g. 40%, is also required. Both would have been more that satisfied in the case of the 2009 Referendum on which 62.66% voted yes and only 36.7% voted no on a turnout of over 70% - quite solid by international standards.
The fact that 44% of all registered electors voted for the Constitution does not mean that 56% did not want it. Apathy is a big factor and a country should never be held hostage by the apathetic.
"' The fact that 44% of
"' The fact that 44% of all registered electors voted for the Constitution does not mean that 56% did not want it"! No but it certainly shows irrefutably that the majority did not vote in favour of it. As someone said its now here and we have to live with it. But mark my words we will pay dearly as country for it, whether we liked how it was handled or not and whether you believe in the BOR or not. The PPM shouldnt expect sympathy now that they are on the recieving end of this referendum voting process.
Read the rest of the post.
Read the rest of the post.
If you didn't want it then
If you didn't want it then why didn't you vote no? The electoral office has said that 80 percent of the population voted in the last election. PLEASE do not try to tell me that those people did not vote for or against the Constitution question.
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