Legislative Assembly 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 of the Cayman Islands, 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 Castle, 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]

Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly Main Chamber

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 of the Cayman Islands.

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 of the Cayman Islands

Member		Roles	District
	Hon. McKeeva Bush	Speaker of the Legislative Assembly	Elected Member for West Bay West

Cabinet Ministers

Member		Roles	District
	Hon. Alden McLaughlin	Premier of the Cayman Islands; Minister of Employment, Border Control, Community Affairs, International Trade, Investment, Aviation and Maritime 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		Roles	District
	Mrs. Barbara Connolly	Deputy Speaker of The Legislative Assembly Councillor of Education, Youth, Finance and Economic Development	Elected Member for George Town South
	Mr. David Wight	Councillor of Tourism, Transport and Sports	Elected Member for George Town West
	Mr. Austin Harris	Councillor of Employment, Border Control and Community Affairs	Elected Member for Prospect
	Capt. Eugene Ebanks	Councillor of Environment and Housing	Elected Member for West Bay Central

Opposition

Official Opposition Members

Member		Roles	District
	Hon. Arden McLean	Leader of the Opposition	Elected Member for East End
	Hon. Alva Suckoo	Deputy Leader of the Opposition	Elected Member for Newlands
	Mr. Anthony Eden		Elected Member for Savannah
	Mr. Christopher Saunders		Elected Member for Bodden Town West
	Mr. Bernie Bush		Elected Member for West Bay North

Independent Opposition Members

Member		District
	Mr. Ezzard Miller	Elected Member for North Side
	Mr. Kenneth Bryan	Elected Member for George Town Central

Results

 Summary of the 24 May 2017 Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly election 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

Electoral performance Cayman Democratic Party

Year	No. of votes	Share of votes	Seats
2005	6,062	30.86%	5 / 15
2009	17,299	44.2%	9 / 15
2013	16,816	27.8%	3 / 18
2017	3,786	24.08%	3 / 19

Electoral performance People's Progressive Movement

Year	No. of votes	Share of votes	Seats
2005	13,199	67.2%	10 / 15
2009	11,645	29.8%	5 / 15
2013	21,859	36.1%	10 / 18
2017	4,909	31.23%	7 / 19

See also

• List of Speakers of the Legislative Assembly of the Cayman Islands

References

1. The Nineteen Single Member Electoral Districts Boundaries Order, 2015
2. Smooth swearing-in for Progressives-led national unity government Archived 25 June 2017 at the Wayback Machine Cayman 27, 31 May 2017
3. National Trust Cayman Islands – An Historical Walking Tour - Central George Town
4. The Cayman Islands Constitution Order 2009

External links

• Official website