MEDIA STATEMENT

The Caymanian Community Party (TCCP) has repeatedly stated its opposition to two controversial draft bills (the Referendum bill and the National Conservation Amendment Bill) being added to the agenda for the upcoming Parliament sitting on 31 January.

The PPM has also made its stance clear and publicly vowed to oppose the move in the House Business Committee meeting on 29 January.

Yet yesterday, the Premier, as Chair of the Committee, took an unusual and very narrow stance, asserting the Committee’s only role is to set the order of bills—effectively dismissing objections to their inclusion altogether.

TCCP condemns this manoeuvre to introduce these two bills as a direct violation of the agreement between the minority government and the PPM.

TCCP remains resolute in its opposition to these two unnecessary and highly contentious bills.

The current minority government is a caretaker administration with no mandate for major legislative changes. With just 90 days until the election, its focus should be on maintaining the status quo – not attempting to push through contentious bills with long-term consequences for the country and the lives of our people.

The people should decide the next government, and that government, with a fresh mandate, should determine significant policy changes—not an outgoing administration on borrowed time.

We urge the PPM to stand by their agreement with the minority government, that is to only ensure Parliamentary quorum for urgent, non-contentious matters.

In our view, the circumstances dictate that the PPM has no alternative but to withdraw from its promise to provide quorum because this meeting of Parliament is now set to deal with contentious matters, a clear breach of their original agreement.

The Caymanian Community Party stands in full support of this action by the PPM.