As noted here previously, the Government of the Cayman Islands is in the midst of a massive public consultation regarding modernisation of their Constitution. The proposed draft was to have been put before Caymanians this summer, before taking it for a constitutional negotiation with the UK.
That plan is now changed, revealing some of the FCO’s desires regarding referenda on consitutional change.
The Cayman Opposition there has been critical of the proposals but has not yet voiced its position. The Cayman Government has decided to proceed directly to negotiations with the UK partly, they claim, in the hope of forcing the Opposition to participate. A statement from the Leader of Government Business, Kurt Tibbetts, says:
A referendum now, before we talk to London, would be best for the country if the country was ready to vote. But, thanks in large part to the Opposition, it seems the country may not yet be ready…
If we went ahead now with the referendum and there was a low turn-out, the referendum result would make little or no impression in London…
There would be a strong probability that we would need to hold a second referendum to make the final decisions.
“To ensure balance and full transparency of the process,” the Cayman delegation negotiating with the UK will be made up of members of the Government and the Opposition, as well as NGOs such as the Chamber of Commerce and the Cayman Ministers’ Association. The change is supported by the Opposition.
The “pre-approved” Consitutional proposal would then be taken for a full referendum next year before it could become effective. The referendum would be held simultaneous with Cayman’s planned General Election. Note that the current proposals include the specific reference:
We believe that there is no desire in the country to seek independence. Our aim is to improve the relationship with the United Kingdom, to make our internal government more democratic, efficient and accountable and to prevent any recurrence of the unfortunate incidents that have in the past strained our relationship with the Mother Country.
