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 If you combine the three tropical islands of the Cayman Islands, you’ll get a 100 square mile-beach paradise with only about 54,248 people, which means peace of mind in every corner. Relying almost entirely on offshore banking and tourism, the robust economy of the Cayman Islands generates $48,140
to $54,100 per capita income, as per CIA World Factbook figures. The Cayman Islands used to be a dependent territory of Jamaica until 1959 when it became a colony of the British Crown. No matter which way you look at it, the Cayman Islands truly demonstrates success and political stability.
Politics of the Cayman Islands
In the Cayman Islands, the Premier is head of both a two-party system and the government. The government exercises executive authority while the Legislative Assembly, together with the government, has legislative capacity. The Judiciary is an autonomous branch of the government. There are 15 representatives in a Legislative Assembly, all of whom are elected by the people. Their sole responsibility is to manage domestic issues. Out of the 15 representatives in a Legislative Assembly, five are appointed to serve as Cabinet members. These five Cabinet members work under the governor.
Roots of the Constitution
While the Cayman Islands is under British colonial rule, it is physically isolated from Britain. Because of this, the Cayman Islands had its own consitution in 1959, which was codified from legal and administrative traditions of the natives. On May 20, 2009, a new constitution was passed that designated more power to the Cayman Islands from the United Kingdom. Today, all three islands in Cayman are autonomous with local governments that respond effectively to locals and tourists' concerns.
By any measure, the political system of the Cayman Islands is stable and peaceful. Its tradition of controlled governance with Britain has only made its political system even stronger. As you go around the island, you will notice that public discussion revolves around topics like foreign communities in the country, economic development, social services and expenses of the public sector.
Appointment of Government Officials
The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (UK FCO) decides who, in the Cayman Islands, will represent the monarch. As of January 2010, FCO has declared that Mr. Duncan Taylor, CBE, as the new governor of the Cayman Islands.
The governor has executive power given by the constitution and he has to provide royal consent to legislations. According to the present constitution, the United Kingdom has the power to implement any law that they feel is appropriate for the Cayman Islands. The Cabinet runs the country through the authority given by the governor while all civil services, on the other hand, are managed by an Acting Governor or a Chief Secretary.
Branches of the Cayman Islands’ Government
The government system of the Cayman Islands is familiar to most of us because like other countries’ political structure, this country’s government also has three branches, namely the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary.
- Executive Branch -- The Executive branch has powers and authority exercised by the government. The Cabinet of Cayman Islands has three members appointed by the Governor: the chief secretary, the financial secretary, and the attorney general. Aside from these, there are five other members who are selected by the Legislative Assembly and the Leader of the Government Business. Matters of national defense and foreign affairs are still under the government of the United Kingdom. Locally, the chief secretary is the one handling the portfolio on External Affairs and the government of Cayman Islands has the capacity to negotiate certain bilateral affairs directly with foreign governments. Meanwhile, other administrative and executive portfolios are handled by the other five members of the Cabinet.
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- The Legislative Branch -- The Legislative Branch consists of a unicameral Legislative Assembly that is presided over by an independent speaker. It has a total of eighteen members, fifteen of which are elected members who have four-year terms in two-seat constituencies. The remaining three members are ex-officio. Elections for members of the Legislative Assembly are held every four years at the discretion of the governor. They formulate and introduce bills which have to be passed to maintain the beauty and order of the Cayman Islands. Bills are then submitted for the approval of the governor or for the royal assent. The governor has the power to either approve or disallow these bills but in some instances, the government of UK may disallow a law even if it has been approved by the governor.
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- The Judiciary Branch – The Judiciary branch of the Cayman government observes a four-tiered judicial system. This system is based on the English common law and on colonial and local statutes. The highest court in the islands is the Cayman Islands Court of Appeal though final appeals may still be heard and considered in the Privy Council in London. The judiciary branch is headed by the Chief Justice who is seated in the Grand Court.
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The Cayman Islands has a stable and mature political system that guarantees locals and tourists alike that their rights, properties and lives are taken care of every single day. Aside from its lovely people and natural wonders, these amazing group of islands also has an impressive per capita, which is 11th highest in the world. Indeed, if there's any place in the world where you can achieve absolute peace of mind and of heart, that place is none other than the Cayman Islands of the Caribbean.
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