Lettersto the Editor

Further Supportfor Single Member Constituencies

The new draft constitution provides forthe Bill of Rights based on equality and non-discrimination. Ittherefore follows that there is inequality in voting and discriminationof some voters having 4 votes and others only 1 vote for candidatesfor the Legislative Assembly. Members of the Legislative Assemblywho are for a Bill of Rights cannot rightfully say no to one personone-vote.

Surely most Caymanians will agree that personsin the eastern constituencies are no less deserving that thoseto the west and that this is inequitable and discriminatory.

Further, the Constitutional Commissionersstated that they received "much widespread supportof singlemember constituencies with each electorate having one vote only".

Certain politicians have said that to dateBermuda does not have one-person one-vote, giving the impressionthat some inequalities exist among the constituencies of Bermudaas they do presently in the Cayman Islands.

All Bermudans have two votes per constituency(which is not discriminatory or unequal) so politicians cannotuse this to support some voters having 1 vote and others two,three, or four votes. Some politicians want to see one vote phasedin but want to railroad the constitution through right away inan effort to be the first Chief Minister and Opposition leader.

Some MLAs say one-person one vote is "premature","highly ambitious" or "Cayman is too young forit" but the same MLA's are pushing for extremely complexconstitutional changes. This is a slap in the voter's face ­surely it is simpler to vote for one person than four. It is easierto make one 'X' than four Xs. Remember; it is the MLAs not theUK who fixed an early date for the new constitution to come in.Insist on a general election or referendum before major constitutionalchanges.

Truman Bodden
Tom Jefferson
John McLean