Rejecting as cynical UDP efforts to undercut their ‘One Man, One Vote’ petition’, opposition politicians yesterday vowed to press forward with their signature drive to gain a November referendum on a new electoral system.

North Side Independent MLA Ezzard Miller yesterday dismissed a weekend pledge by Premier McKeeva Bush to offer electors a May 2013 choice for future voting.

“What he is doing is trying to stop the obvious enthusiasm to sign the petition,” Mr Miller said.

“This won’t dampen anybody’s spirit, though. It’s just typical of the UDP. If it’s a good idea, why wait until 2017 for implementation?” he asked.

Both Mr Miller and East End PPM MLA Arden McLean, on 14 February, launched a drive to gain the signatures of 4,000 registered voters on a petition calling for 18 single-member constituencies, roughly, they said, equating to “one man, one vote”.

Claiming the proposed 18-district system was more equitable than the current electoral system of 15 representatives in six districts, some of which return as many as four MLAs to Parliament, Miller and McLean promised an improved democracy, streamlined voting and better constituent relations in redrawn electoral boundaries.

While Mr Bush on Friday unilaterally announced the UDP would put the question on the 2013 ballot, looking toward possible 2017 implementation, a subsequent statement from the North Side and East End MLAs, both representing one-member districts, said Mr Bush’s move was a “naked attempt to stymie the current petition process” that furnished “clear proof that everyone needs to sign this petition, and let’s get it done for 2013.”

While Mr McLean did not respond to phone calls, PPM leader Alden McLaughlin said he fully supported the petition, although worrying Cabinet would delay the referendum the petition was intended to spark.

“This is an attempt to head off what they perceive as a winning petition,” Mr McLaughlin said. “Unfortunately, under the constitution, Cabinet can decide when it will be held.”

To trigger a “people’s-initiated referendum” a public petition must garner the signatures of 25% of Cayman’s registered voters, meaning a total of 3,794 electors.

Once verified, the signatures oblige government to stage a referendum on the question, although the only legal requirement is that poll must occur within “a reasonable time”.

Mr Miller and Mr McLean had hoped to see the ‘One Man, One Vote’ referendum — and approval — in November, clearing the path for a 2013 18-district electoral map.

Mr Bush’s weekend pledge, however, did not address either the petition or hoped-for November poll, and presumed support for the UDP position from statements by Mr McLaughlin about issues of timing.

“The interpretations of what I said are most unfortunate,” Mr McLaughlin said yesterday, rejecting any support for the UDP position. “The PPM has consistently pushed for single-member constituencies and I have been pushing for it for years.

“I have signed the petition and I absolutely support it,” he said, fearing however, that Cabinet would simply delay the referendum until next May anyway.

“I fear some of my concerns are being borne out, and I do have concerns about getting all the things done in time for the next election,” he said. “It creates a great deal of problems”.

He remained hopeful, however, that the petition would prove so overwhelmingly popular that Cabinet could not reasonably delay a subsequent referendum until 2013.

“Unless the government is persuaded by the level of political pressure,” he said. “If, out of an electorate of 15,000, you have, say, 8,000 or more, you might see some response.”