Editorial
To the Finish Line
The General Elections race has entered itsfinal lap and the results of the months of politicking by therecord number of 57 candidates will emerge in a few days.
Last Sunday at midnight marked the passing of the deadline forany candidate who so desired to withdraw from the race. No onehas done so, the Elections Office notes.
Some candidates have been slow in getting out of the startingblocks in developing a proper strategy to present themselves andtheir agenda to the electors. Others have had no meetings at all.
Yet all remain in contention for a seat in the Cayman IslandsLegislative Assembly and by their continued presence in the racewould seek to have the electorate believe in their worthinessto be members of the honourable House.
It is perhaps a measure of the intensity of the campaign -- dueto the sheer number of contestants -- that candidates still remainon the slate in the hope that they can place in the race. Whilethere has been a multiplicity of issues, one would be hard-pressedto find a platform that has clearly and definitively addressedthe kind of governance that will be required of Cayman, if itis to maintain its coveted position on the world financial stageand its appeal as a tourist destination.
In the final analysis, it will be up to voters to decide whattheir real choices are, from the multitude of contenders. Of coursethe criteria for selection will vary widely and will include anythingfrom the personal to a perception of a candidate's leadershipability and handling of issues important to voters ... and thecountry.
One of the issues emanating from the campaign, across districts,is a call, both from contending politicians and from voters, forresponsible, accountable government.
It has been discussed and repeated often enough to suggest thatvoters are looking to be re-engaged to the political process andto be involved in decisions that are made on their behalf.
Its constant refrain may also be an indicator that the peopleare anxious for an end to old-style politics of secrecy, which,while it may make some powerful, tends also to breed all-roundfear and disconnects the people from their elected leaders.
Those who emerge victorious on November 8 will have the awesometask of leading the Cayman Islands through some challenging times,both on the domestic and international fronts. It is a job thatwill require more than rhetoric. It demands far more than a desireto be a politician; and while previous political experience willhelp, it cannot be solely relied on for navigation through whatmay well be uncharted waters.
Those who are given the people's mandate will be put on noticethat they will ultimately be judged on performance - and not forbasking in the power of the office.
We Polled... the People Spoke
In the wake of Cayman Net News'/ICCI'sconduct of a poll to determine how the electorate would vote inthe elections, and the publication of the results in last week'sedition, this newspaper has received a number of reactions toits attempt to bring further information and dialogue to the campaignhustings.
Some have welcomed the exercise; others have been angered - perhapsbecause we dared to do it; maybe because they had poor showingsand some because they question our methodology.
We undertook this poll, as a service to our readers and as partof our mandate to inform and educate on the issues important totheir lives. It may not have been a perfect attempt. Certainlywe took a scientific approach to the data gathering and carefulmeasures to ensure accuracy and objectivity.
It was an exhaustive exercise, conducted over one week. The resultswere not contrived to reflect anyone's agenda. They simply mirroredthe people's indications.
For us and for many others, the experience has been worthwhile.So much so, it is one we will repeat in the future.