As our Country faces a critical election in May that will chart our course for decades to come, we are disappointed that the PPM already are resorting to personal attacks in an attempt to discredit the Coalition for Cayman and the leaders working to promote independent-minded leadership that will put Country First. The attacks only reinforce the divisive and negative image of political parties that discourages everyday citizens from participating in the democratic process.

The PPM’s attack defines the biggest flaws in our current political party system – divisiveness and the lack of consensus-building. In our current party system, the ideas and positions of the party members are irrelevant, and the only voice that matters is that of the party leader.

In contrast, the Coalition for Cayman, and its Executive Committee, will not agree on every issue – and in fact there are differing opinions about OMOV – but the one issue that we do all agree on is that healthy democracies allow discussion, debate and consensus based on a majority opinion. When it comes to OMOV, the people of Cayman made a clear choice last year, and as advocates for fair democracy and for Country First, C4C believes that the will of Cayman voters should be honored.

The Coalition for Cayman believes that the best solutions to our Country’s greatest challenges can be found in the collective ideas of many leaders. For this reason, a group of concerned citizens who care about the future of our Country came together to create C4C, a public awareness and advocacy group committed to bringing new and accountable leadership – free of the strings of political parties – to unite our country, restore our economic and social balance and secure leadership that will put Country First.

Coalition for Cayman would ask the PPM and all other parties, and independents to focus their campaigns on providing solutions to the challenges facing our Country. Negative attacks won’t grow our economy, create jobs or bring new opportunity. And negative attacks won’t set our Country on a sound course for our next generation. Our citizens deserve better.

It’s time to put Country First.