The Cayman Islands next premier, Alden McLaughlin had a very hard job in making his seven Cabinet appointments.

McLaughlin doesn’t have a clear majority from his own Progressives (PPM) party having won nine out of eighteen seats.

Tara Rivers and Roy McTaggart, both from the Coalition for Cayman (C4C), had to have been in contention for a place. Unfortunately McTaggart didn’t do his case for a Cabinet post much good when he said when he was campaigning, he would not be part of a Cabinet led by McLaughlin. Although he has since recanted on that now and made it publicly clear he would, when McLaughlin made his surprise announcement on Saturday (25) of his Cabinet choices, McTaggart’s name was conspicuously missing.

The C4C did get one appointment in Tara Rivers, the West Bay hero who broke up the McKeeva Bush monopoly, who at the time of writing this Editorial had still to decide what ministerial post she would accept, if she even will accept anything.

The C4C have made it clear they expected more but quite frankly after that appalling press release that they sent out via Jude Scott intimating they had been approached, by PPM candidates, who were unhappy with the PPM leader and the C4C would work with them only, they shouldn’t have expected anything else.

It is a shame as Roy McTaggart is a very accomplished and experienced Caymanian, comes from an influential family, obtained more George Town electoral votes than McLaughlin and many of the voters who put McLaughlin’s party in power also voted for him. With still one more position to fill (or two if Tara decides no) it would be a wise decision if this post is offered to him, although I will not be surprised if it isn’t. I only hope it doesn’t come back to haunt our new premier, as I am already getting bad vibes from the independents camp.

McLaughlin did make a very important and shrewd choice in appointing ex-premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly Speaker of the House. That gave him the majority he needed and no “horse-trading’ was necessary with his independent “friends” in North Side and East End.

Hopefully we can get the appointment of Environment Minister to someone who actually cares and understands how important this ministry is.

McLaughlin sent out an olive branch to the elected non-members of the Progressives saying he would be delighted if they would sit with his team on the government bench. This offer did not go to the United Democratic Party trio.

“There is a lot to be done,” he said.  “There are many committees to be headed up, there is a huge amount of work to do and we certainly would welcome and hope they would come on board as part of the Progressives administration rather than forming part of the opposition, with Mr. Bush and the UDP.” It would be much better to sit with the government the country has just chosen, he added.

It will be interesting to see on Wednesday (29), when the swearing in ceremony is carried out, which side they do all sit on.