Echoing the words of Opposition Leader, Hon. Alden McLaughlin, it was an historic but sad day in the history of the Cayman Islands, when 20 minutes after 3pm on Tuesday 18^th December, the Cayman Islands Legislative Assembly heard and passed a No Confidence Motion in the Government.

The No Confidence Motion was brought by McLaughlin and seconded by North Side Independent MLA, Ezzard Miller. Initially the Motion was brought to the Speaker of the House on Friday evening but she did not assent as certain procedures had to be executed first she said.

However, on Monday morning 11 MLA’s all signed a letter requesting Speaker of the House Mary Lawrence to hold a special meeting at 1 p.m. Tuesday to debate a Lack of Confidence in the Government Motion as follows:

“Today Hon. Alden Mclaughlin, MBE, JP, MLA, Hon. Kurt Tibbetts, OBE, JP, MLA, Mr. Moses Kirkconnell, JP, MLA, Mr. Anthony Eden, OBE, JP, MLA, Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, JP, MLA, Hon. Rolston Anglin, JP, MLA, Hon. Mark Scotland, JP, MLA, Mr. Dwayne Seymour, MLA, Mr. Cline Glidden Jr., JP, MLA, Mr. Arden McLean, JP, MLA and Mr. Ezzard Miller, JP, MLA have delivered a written requisition to the Speaker to summon a meeting of the Legislative Assembly in accordance with Standing Order 8(2) at 1pm today for the expressed purpose of debating a Lack of Confidence in the Government Motion brought by the Hon. Leader of the Opposition and seconded by the Elected Member from North Side.”

Although 1pm was the time set it was changed. Hon. Rolston Anglin said that, “Due to the passage of time we may be meeting at 3 p.m. instead as notices have not gone out to MLAs as yet.  This should be done shortly by the staff of the Legislative Assembly.”

Only two members spoke during the debate. McLaughlin and Bodden Town MLA, Mark Scotland.

McLaughlin opened the debate explaining that this was the third time he had put forward a No Confidence Motion. The first two were not successful – in fact the second one was conducted outside the LA in Heroes Square. All were done because Premier McKeeva Bush was the subject of corruption investigations.

Because of the upcoming general elections due in May 2013 he said he was not going to continue on that course until last Tuesday when the premier was arrested on suspicion of theft, alleged misuse of a government credit card and abuse of office over the alleged importation of explosive substances without valid permits.

He had waited until Friday evening before demanding the premier’s resignation because he had expected the premier to have honourably stepped down as premier but he did not. He still wanted the premier to announce his resignation now and avoid the necessity for this vote and asked him to do so. “There is still time,” he said.

Early on Monday morning he had met with members of the ruling UDP party and they had added their names to his No Confidence Motion to be debated in the LA on Tuesday because the Speaker had not assented to his Friday request.

McLaughlin spoke with much passion of his love for his country and the image of corruption that now surrounds the Cayman Islands to the world outside because of the criminal and serious accusations against the country’s premier. He asked the three UDP MLA’s who were still standing by Mr. Bush to search their consciences and think hard when the vote came.

Hon. Mark Scotland, the Minister for Health and Environment, spoke with much sadness saying that all the Caucus UDP members had been unanimous in asking Premier Bush to resign but now three members had changed their minds. This had left him and his other Government members voting for a motion that will probably mean he will not be able to continue in government anymore. However, he was doing it because he felt it was right.

After he sat down and the Speaker had called three times if anyone else wanted to speak, McLaughlin started his wind up speech when a slight disturbance commenced which was quickly stopped by the Speaker. She ruled she had asked three times if anyone else wanted to speak but there had been no such indication.

McLaughlin said a final few words and then the vote on the No Confidence Motion was put to the House.

Juliana O’Connor Connolly, Rolston Anglin, Mark Scotland, Cline Glidden, Dwayne Seymour, Ezzard Miller, Alden Mclaughlin, Kurt Tibbetts, Moses Kirkconnell,, Anthony Eden, and Arden Mclean all voted “Yes”.

Ellio Solomon, Mike Adam and Captain Eugene Ebanks voted “No” and Premier McKeeva Bush abstained.

So what happens now?

The splintered UDP group could persuade the other three members to join them and they would then be able to form a stop-gap government.

McLaughlin has gone on record as saying the opposition has not agreed to form a coalition with the five members who are not supporting McKeeva Bush and that, as leader of the PPM, he was not interested in leading a government in these current circumstances.

However, if the 5 member majority UDP splinter group cannot gain the support of the remaining UDP members it may not be able to reform a majority government. In that case the governor may call early elections when the House will be dissolved ahead of the planned May general election. The only other scenario is if the five UDP members could possibly carry on.

Governor, H.E. Duncan Taylor, will be the man who will ultimately make the final decision.