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Alden McLaughlin is next CI premier

Alden McLaughlin is the new Premier of the Cayman Islands. Photo: Cayman News Network
Cayman News Network

With the PPM taking four seats in both George Town and Bodden Town, and Moses Kirkconnell being returned in the Sister Islands, the PPM will be able to form the next government with Alden McLaughlin at the helm.

The UDP were wiped out in the capital, with the C4C taking two George Town seats while Mike Adam, the only UDP candidate with a hope throughout the count, fell at the final hurdle. The George Town count was announced outside the Family Life Centre at around 8:30am Thursday as Cayman could breath a sigh of relief that it had a stable administration and was not facing the prospect of horse-trading or backroom deals, with both Ezzard Miller and Arden McLean willing to back a PPM administration, securing the party a majority in Cayman's new 18-seat parliament.

In George Town the party's patriarch, Kurt Tibbetts, was returned as first elected member with 3,470 votes, while C4C's Roy McTaggart came in second with 2,160 votes and PPM Leader Alden McLaughlin third with 2,145. Marco Archer (PPM) was fourth, Winston Connolly (C4C) fifth and Joey Hew (PPM) held up the rear, pushing out the incumbent Mike Adam to take the sixth seat as the UDP's support disappeared in the capital.

The long wait followed a tense count in West Bay, Bodden Town and George Town, where the result was very close in all three districts. Earlier in the evening Miller and McLean had both achieved comfortable majorities in their constituencies and PPM Deputy leader Moses Kirkconnell soared passed Juliana O'Connor-Connolly to take 75% of the vote in the Brac.

In the critical battle ground of Bodden Town the PPM had a clean sweep but a close race to push out Theresa Pitcairn (UDP) and Charles Clifford (IND). Incumbent PNA candidates Mark Scotland and Dwayne Seymour both lost their seats, and although the UDP candidates fared better than the interim government ministers, they failed to get a single seat for the party.

In West Bay Tara Rivers made history when she rocked the UDP boat and turfed out Velma Hewitt, who came in fifth. The C4C candidate was returned as the second elected member in an emphatic rejection by West Bayers of the straight vote. The PPM did poorly in the district but so did the PNA incumbents Rolston Anglin and Cline Glidden, who also lost their seats despite their focused campaign on the former premier and allegations of more corruption.

The UDP were wiped out in every district except West Bay and will now occupy only three seats on the opposition benches along with the only remaining member of the PNA, Juliana O'Connor-Connolly. It is not clear if the three C4C candidates will join Bush across the chamber or whether they will be seeking to support the PPM government.

How McLaughlin will secure his premiership is not yet clear but he has a number of options, which will likely include offering the speaker's job to Ezzard Miller, who is the most knowledgeable member of  the Legislative Assembly when it comes to parliamentary procedures and would be an obvious choice. 

With the PPM in government, this is the last time that Cayman will have to go through a full general election under the multi-member system, which is far from user friendly, as the party has committed to introduce one man, one vote and single member constituencies.

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