A History of Elections in the Cayman Islands

1911

During a meeting in 1911 George Town Vestryman, C. J. H. Goring quoted the writer Wm. Shakespeare. The Commissioner, not being a Shakespeare scholar did not understand the meaning of what was said, recessed the house to do research on the particular passage of Shakespeare before reconvening the sitting again later. 

1922

In 1922 an Election was held but the records of the results are not complete. These to be added after later research.

1932

The results of the 1932 Elections are more complete.  Records show that the Elections took place on different dates of the same month of August, in different Districts. The results were as follows:

1948

An Election was held in August 1948 which was noteworthy. Polling was held in the different districts starting from the 10th August. The first Poll was held in George Town on the 10th August which ended in a tie between two candidates H. M. Coe and another candidate, which made it impossible to declare 5 candidates for George Town, this resulted in a By-Election for George Town, ordered for 14th August.  The By-Election, however, ended in a tie again between H. M. Coe and A. Berkley Bush resulting in another By-Election being ordered for the 19th August. 

At this point Mr. H. M. Coe wrote a strong letter to the Commissioner expressing his feelings that it seemed impossible to have three elections with two candidates tied three times. He suggested the possibility of tampering, and called for an investigation.    

The new By-Election was held on the 19th August, this time with definitive results. The results of the whole Island Elections are listed below for easy reference.

Also during the 1948 Elections a letter was received by the Commissioner from a group of women in George Town, expressing their right to vote and run for Election. Up until this time, women did not vote though there seemed to have been no law prohibiting women from voting. We find no reply to this letter but the matter was raised again in 1956 and finally was settled in 1959. For more details of this women’s campaign please see  “Founded upon the Seas”,  History of the Cayman Islands Chap. 14

 [See letter inserted for names Reproduced from History of the Cayman Islands] 

 In 1959 the Cayman Islands were granted their first Constitution and Universal Sufferage, the Assembly changed from the Assembly of Vestry to the Legislative Assembly and twelve members were elected, there were also three Official Members, and three Nominated Members.

Excerpt from speech made by His Excellency the Governor on 2nd October ,1959 from the Secretary of State for the Colonies on behalf of Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom. 

“ … The first meeting of the Legislative Assembly for the Cayman Islands under the new Constitution provided for by Order made by Her Majesty the Queen in Council on the 13th of May, 1959 … You have today a Legislative Assembly to which twelve members have been elected for the first time on the basis of universal adult sufferage.”

 - Address by His Excellency the Governor to Legislative Assembly for the Cayman Islands.

The new Legislative Assembly was comprised of the following:

President  Major A. H. Donald  O.B.E. Administrator

 Official Members

Hon. James Rufus Astwood 

Hon. Earnest Ottey Panton M. H. E. JP

Desmond Vere Watler , J. P. 

Nominated Members

Emmis Mortimer Forbes,  J.P.

Hon. Capt. Theophilus Rearie Bodden

William Warren Conolly

Elected Members

Executive Council

Hon. Major A. H. Donald  O.B.E.  Administrator

Official Members

Hon. James Rufus Astwood

Hon. Ernest Ottey Panton M.B.E. J.P.

Nominated Members

Hon. Capt, Theophilus Rearie Bodden

Elected Members

Hon. T. William Farrington

Hon. William Allen McLaughlin

The 1959 Elections was a turning point for the Elections Process in the Cayman Islands as the women finally had a voice and were able to run for Elections, and hold Office. This move came at a pivotal time in the Islands development, as a large percentage of the men were away at sea and were not available to fill many key posts. 

During the early 1960’s a move to establish a West Indies Federation of the British Colonies in the Caribbean, the Cayman Islands took a stand against joining the Federation which would have led to political changes for the Cayman Islands. This controversy lasted almost two years and ended with the Federation being scrapped, Jamaica moving into independence, and the Cayman Islands reverting to full colony status.   

The next change to the Constitution came in 1972 as a result of select committees appointed by the Legislative assembly in 1966, 67, and 69 but nothing was achieved until 1972.

In June 1970 the Earl of Oxford and Asquith was appointed by the Commonwealth Office to examine the situation and make recommendations. He arrived in January the next year and met with the people in the Cayman Islands. It was soon realized that the people wanted very little changes and certainly no significant constitutional  advancements. In the end the new constitution came into force on 22nd August, 1972.It made some significant changes but stopped short of full self government. One of the changes introduced a “Member” and “Portfolio” system of governing for the first time instead of a full Ministerial Government. The 1972 Constitution established the qualifications for being a “Caymanian” and the criteria for voting and running for Political Office.