EDITORIAL

Creating A Non-Partisan Voice In The Government

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

In the Caribbean region, our history of experiences under colonial rule can sometimes leave us aware of strategies or formulas that might not otherwise be considered. Under British rule, for example, most of the English-speaking governments in the region included, along with the elected representatives, certain appointed officials who had a say, in varying degrees, in the political process.

These appointees were selected on their proven expertise or experience in various fields, and were sometimes able to vote on certain matters before the Government.

In the present day, some of the independent nations in the region have held onto this concept of appointed or senatorial selections having seen the value of this ostensibly impartial and experienced input.

In the rather fractious political climate currently existing in the Cayman Islands, and with constitutional changes appearing possible in the next few years, we proffer that consideration should be given to reviving this idea.

In the first place, it would soften the current condition of an us-and-them partition, set on two diametrically opposed concrete ramps. A third set of voices, themselves not allied to each other, would serve to counter the hard-and-fast positions on both sides and perhaps serve as a bridge to reason or, at least, a fair consideration of viewpoint.

Not having to depend on the voters’ list for their selection, these appointees would also be more likely to treat issues more on merit rather than on the resulting degree of political leverage and would therefore be closer to “telling it like it is” than their colleagues dependent on the ballot box.

For the voter, as well, these ostensibly impartial persons, would be more likely to be giving the people the facts on an issue and could well end up with a pivotal say (via a vote in the Assembly) on whether a piece of legislation is passed, or amended, or rejected outright. There should not be too much concern about their impartiality, because, for one, they are not likely to be discharged by the very government that appointed them, and secondly, the appointees know that their performance is not subject to partisan political pressures.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the appointed process, if properly applied, would result in the people’s business benefitting from a powerful and productive range of expertise that would not otherwise be available. It is clearly the case in Cayman that there are a number of people, of proven and enduring capability, who would be able to make a substantial contribution to the deliberations and decisions of Government, but it is equally true that in most instances, while those persons may be very willing to contribute, the majority would be averse to entering the political arena.

The idea of a senatorial-type post, free of political consequence or affiliation, would loosen the knot of political partisanship.

With more and more political regimes around the world being hamstrung by polarised political systems, and in particular the two-party type such as we have here, the need for this “third voice” seems more and more like good old-fashioned Caymanian common sense.

History has shown that notion of an “independent candidate” being that third voice is wishful thinking; once elected, subject to the voters, the independent inevitably ends up in one political bed or the other.

The senatorial-type post, not subject to manipulation by the voters, is an idea that Cayman should be considering as constitutional changes loom.

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