🏛️ New Cayman Islands premier alleges parliament was under external influence

The newly appointed premier of the Cayman Islands, Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, has accused the parliament of being under the influence of external forces with economic and financial power. In her first public appearance as the leader of the United People’s Movement (UPM), O’Connor-Connolly implied that previous leaders were controlled by external forces and pledged to bring about a change. She stated that she expects to face threats and bullying but emphasized that MPs should remain loyal to the voters, not parties or individuals.🎙️

O’Connor-Connolly also gave her account of the events leading to the departure of former premier and climate minister, Wayne Panton, and the return of Mckeeva Bush and Dwayne ‘john-john’ Seymour to the government benches. She claimed that she had no obligations to anyone except the people of the Cayman Islands. The new premier further alleged that Panton was under pressure from developers and donors who had contributed to his ministers' campaigns and were seeking payback. She did not, however, specify how she plans to handle these external influences in her new government.🏦

While outlining the formation of the new government, O’Connor-Connolly mentioned that the People’s Action Coalition (PACT) had several options after the no-confidence motion failed in parliament. She ruled out a new election despite rising public support for a new national pole and stated that it was an easy decision as they had to complete a budget before December 31. O’Connor-Connolly was unanimously asked to be the leader, and she wanted André Ebanks as her deputy. She also invited back former PACT members Bush and Seymour to address the hung parliament.🗳️