INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE KENNETH BRYAN, SEEN HERE ON THE SHOULDERS OF SUPPORTERS, PULLED OFF THE BIGGEST UPSET, DEFEATING FORMER MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MARCO ARCHER.
Who will form the next government of the Cayman Islands?
That’s the question on the table as the island’s politicians huddle behind closed doors following yesterday’s historic general elections.
There was no clear winner in the poll that for the first time operated under a one man, one vote system, as Independent candidates took nine seats in the 19-seat Legislative Assembly, one shy short of the 10 needed to give them outright control of government.
The incumbent People’s Progressive Movement (PPM) took seven seats and the other three went to the Cayman Democratic Party (CDP), formerly known as the United Democratic Party.
For the Independents, Kenneth Bryan pulled off the biggest upset, defeating former Minister of Finance and Economic Development in the PPM government, Marco Archer, in the George Town Central electoral district.
A jubilant Bryan told reporters he was anxious to represent his constituents.
“I want to be a part of the government, however that is formed. I want to make sure I have access to get things done for the people,” he said.
Meantime, PPM leader and former premier Alden McLaughlin held onto his seat, along with deputy party leader Moses Kirkconnell.
CDP leader McKeeva Bush was also in winner’s row. But he blamed his party’s overall poor showing on the new voting system.
“People are not supportive of the system. I don’t think it worked well for our democracy,” he said yesterday before the results were out.
However, Supervisor of Elections Wesley Howell said the voter turnout was just around what was expected. He reported that 74.8 per cent of the over 21,000 people registered to vote, did so.