By not voting - people willget the Government they Deserve
There is absolutely no doubt that just about everyone in theCayman Islands holding down a job, caring for a home or runninga business is quite maxed out. Nevertheless, this does not absolveanyone from exercising their civic responsibility - by ensuringthat they are registered to vote. The reality is: the GeneralElection is just over five months away.
It is appalling to learn that, with an estimated addition of over1,000 young people now eligible to vote - they have not registered,yet they continue to complain about 'the system'. Frankly, thenumber of individuals who have responded to the Election Office'sefforts to register voters is pathetically low.
When Cayman Net News first expressed concerns about the registrationprogress earlier this year in this matter, there were those whothought we were raising unnecessary alarms.
Furthermore, questions are being raised again in regard to: justwho is entitled to vote? Who is Caymanian and who is not? Is thisimpacting the registration process? Many of those on the presentvoters list, are not Caymanian. and have been franchised owingto the ease in which registrations have been conducted in thepast.
Another hindrance in getting people to register, is the increasedanxiety some may feel regarding the intimidation and fear in connectionwith their tenure in the Cayman Islands. Subsequently, these folksare not coming forward even if they have the right to do so.
Attendant to this is the need for some news from those responsiblefor compiling and publishing a report on the Census. Some havetaken this exercise as the registration process to vote. In theUnited States when some areas were late in making reports forsix weeks after its Census Day - there was an outcry. Not so here.It is claimed that about half of the known population is not counted.
Now, here in Cayman, it's well beyond six months since our Censuswas taken, and there has been no announcement as to any timetablewhen this report will be available. Could this be because thecensus will reveal the true state of the unstable tenure of someregistered voters?
Meanwhile the Election Office is doing everything it can to getthe vote out - even to the point of using courier services toget registration forms to the populace.
The process used in prior years, whereby registering officerswent to all the households in the Cayman Islands and ensured thatpeople who were entitled to get on the electors' role, worked.With the shortage of manpower, this could not work today.
Meanwhile, Government has set up the process whereby voter registrationphoto ID cards will be issued. Though not mandatory for voting,this initiative has also had a very poor response.
Out of an election roll of a possible voters in George Town, onone Saturday morning late last month, only 11 showed up for theentire six hour period, election officers were on hand to provideID cards. It is this lackadaisical attitude which is deplorable.
Perhaps it is time to consider the idea that when drivers licensesare issued, voter registration cards could be issued at the sametime. The officers in charge of taking in applications, couldvery easily scour the voters list whereby new and renewal of driverslicense through a data base, will ensure that previous registrantsare provided with Voter IDs along with their drivers license.After all, voting is not a choice, it is a civic responsibility.
Politicians themselves, those currently sitting, and those waitingin the wings, should be aware it is also their responsibilityto get the voters out.
Another avenue worthy of consideration is: Because the churchis so closely linked to affairs of the state here in the CaymanIslands, our community's ministers and pastors should use theirinfluence in the pulpits in this regard.
Like the Olympics, elections come around every four years, andwe the people will choose a new government of legislators to governthe Cayman Islands for the next four years. And just like theOlympics, the race will be highly competitive. But who is preparedfor the challenge? The time is at hand for answers to all thesequeries.
In this new decade, the most important decision voters will makeaffecting this country - is what happens on Wednesday, the 8thof November, 2000. If the people do not speak with their votes,they must then forever hold their peace - and not entitled toa say in anything regarding the future of the Cayman Islands.