Vexed Bermoothes

Bermuda has an unhealthy situation where most voters do not trust our elected leaders.  This is underlined when our politicians jet off around the world for mysterious meetings:  people wonder what on earth they are up to.

We had a glimpse of how they conduct themselves during the OTCC pre-meeting this weekend, where they seemed to fixate on the issue of independence.

PLP MP Walter Lister said “I encouraged the delegates not to remain Overseas Territories but to prepare themselves and their people to assume their rightful position among the other nations of the world. Colonialism is a hold over from a previous century which really has no place in today’s world.”

For his part, the Premier gave a toast “to the people of the overseas territories – not to be known forever as territories.”

To put it bluntly, the PLP have no mandate to pursue independence for Bermuda.  Public polls show that Bermudians are not only significantly against independence for Bermuda but, in fact, their support has shrunk since the PLP took office.  Who wants to venture into the unknown with leaders you are not really sure you can trust?

You’ve got to wonder what the other OTCC’s think of Bermuda’s behaviour?  Contrast our politicians’ agitation versus the more measured approach taken by the Cayman Islands in recent discussions at the UN on decolonisation:

The Cayman Islands was represented by barrister Steve McField, standing in for Premier McKeeva Bush. He was sent to share with the attendees that Cayman did not have a mandate from the people to seek independence; he was also there to assess what was happening with other overseas territories regarding the issue of self governance. In his presentation he agreed with previous speakers that a nation-building process must take place for the exercise of self-determination to be successful.  Outlining the history of the Cayman Islands under various forms and degrees of colonial administration, he said that, due to careful and forceful negotiation among the people and with the administering power, Cayman now had “one of the best arrangements” in the world.