According to a statement released by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, new programmes intended to “strengthen the capacity of Parliamentarians to contribute effectively to the new Commonwealth Charter” will be proposed at the meeting. The new charter is said to broaden the charter’s coverage of the rights of women and others in Commonwealth countries, and was signed last week in London by the Queen.
McKeeva Bush, former premier of the Cayman Islands, filed a motion on 25 Feb to block the UK from sending observers, sparking the debate over whether they should be allowed in. The motion was subsequently rejected by the current government as well as opposition and independent politicians, Cayman Islands media reported on Friday.
Bush said he filed the motion because he saw the FCO’s request to monitor the election as an effort to intimidate the Cayman Islands’ voters, according to the news website, Caymannetnews.com.
"The former Premier took exception with the UK sending election observers, noting that for 182 years, the Cayman Islands has run flawless elections with a good voter turnout in the absence of a compulsory law to oblige citizens to vote," the website’s report added.
As reported, Bush was replaced as premier of the Caymans on 19 Dec after a vote of no confidence by the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly, which is hosting the Commonwealth meeting that kicks off today. It followed his arrest in December “in connection with a number of on-going police investigations”, according to official sources at the time, although he has never been formally charged.
The acting premier is Julianna O’Connor-Connolly, who had been deputy premier.
