Candidate pledges he is true independent

Thursday,  May 5, 2005

Political candidate for West Bay, Bernie Bush, has made a pledge to the people of West Bay that he has not made deals with any political party or grouping and will be running as a true independent.

Speaking at a public meeting on Saturday night, Mr Bush told the crowd and listeners on Radio Cayman that he wanted to put an end to the “stupid rumours” plaguing his campaign.

Mr Bush reiterated his pledge, swearing on the Holy Bible, in the Net News offices this week. “I Bernie Bush pledge to you the people of West Bay and the Cayman Islands, upon this Holy Bible that I have made no deals with nor am I a part of the PPM, any alliance or the UDP,” he swore.

“This stupid rumour has only been started by competing candidates in West Bay to weaken and discredit my campaign, as they know I was the number one contender in 2000.”

He continued, “The present party system has no accountability and the people have not voted for this party system.”

This pledge was just one of the issues addressed by Mr Bush at his meeting. Mr Bush reiterated his commitment to “good, sensible debate” and his desire to help shape the new political system.

Mr Bush covered five main issues facing the Cayman Islands’ society that are central to his campaign. Firstly, he emphasised to the audience his dedication to serving the young people of West Bay and the Cayman Islands. He described himself as having a personal interest in the problems of every young person in Cayman and committed to fighting the “glass ceiling” that can limit opportunities for young Caymanians in the workforce.

The second issue Mr Bush discussed at the public meeting was the welfare of elderly members of society. He emphasised the huge contribution of the elderly to the development of the Cayman Islands, particularly Caymanian seafarers, and stressed the need for sufficient provisions to take care of them in their later years.

Handicapped people were also identified as a group of society that Mr Bush is committed to assisting. In particular, the hearing impaired and sufferers of drug addiction were mentioned.

Other issues identified included tackling the “revolving door of crime,” by
securing proper jobs to give former prisoners a second chance and a commitment to a new constitution and bill of rights to “protect Caymanians and residents working in the Cayman Islands.”

Mr Bush ended his meeting by affirming his commitment to serving the people that elect him and working very hard for the district and the country as an MLA.

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