The Elections Office has released the summary of Elections Expense returns as reported, by political parties’ and individual candidates for the May General Elections. See iNews Cayman story at: http://www.ieyenews.com/wordpress/cayman-islands-elections-office-posts-candidates-expense-returns/

During the final eight weeks of the May General Elections Dr. Steve Tomlinson coughed up over $194,000 to ten political candidates running as Independents.

Note I wrote “final eight weeks”.

Any contributions and expenses made before March 29, 2017 are not reported in the campaign finance records.

In these final weeks, the campaign finance records show the good doctor gave :

Arnold Berry $20,000, Kenneth Bryan $20,000, Raul Gonzalez $20,000, Austin Harris $10,000, Sarah Orrett $12,600*, Burns Rankin $25,000, Ellio Solomon $30,000, Catherine Tyson $25,000, Kenrick Webster $20,000, and Laura Young $12,000. *NOTE: rounded down.

We know Bryan was campaigning under Dr Tomlinson a year before the election as he was the very first candidate to announce he was running. It was also no secret who was backing him from that time. Bryan’s returns show he received just over $23,000 but spent over $36,400.

Leader of the CDP, McKeeva Bush received $29,700 but kept his expenses within range – $29,653!

The Progressives did not report individual candidates expenses. They reported a lump sum of receiving just under $344,600 whilst spending over $509,300. Wayne Panton gave just under $112,200 whilst Maxine Bodden gave $60,00.

All these contributions did not appear to be money well spent. Nether Panton nor Bodden were elected and only Bryan and Harris found themselves elected under Dr Tomlinson’s umbrella. And Harris was the first to break ranks with the rest of the Independents elected and join leader of the Progressives Alden McLaughlin.

What this election did prove is that under the One Man One Vote system you must campaign early. It matters not how good and conscientious you are at your job and cannot therefore spend the time the other candidates can on canvassing. The voters selfishly want to know what you can do for them and not what you have been achieving for your country. That is why Bryan got elected instead of Marco Archer and Al Suckoo instead of Panton. Both Archer and Panton were two of the hardest working ministers this country have ever had and both got the boot from the electorate.

Campaign contributions less than $5,000 don’t have to be reported.

What else has any of these figures proved?

Relatively little.

The election observers made this pointed comment:

“The transparency of campaign finances was limited as there are no requirements for contestants to submit, or for the authorities to audit or publish, reports on expenditure before election day.”

And what actually was paid out before Nomination Day will never be known.

Candidates who did not get elected do not have to submit anything at all, although to their credit, most did.

And even if what has been submitted is the truth it may still be questioned. Nothing has to be independently audited.