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Curacao Prime Minister Gerrit Schotte (L) and Cayman Islands Premier McKeeva Bush

WILLEMSTAD, Curacao -- The premier of the Cayman Islands McKeeva Bush has sent a letter of support to the embattled outgoing prime minister of Curacao Gerrit Schotte.

In his letter, Bush states that democracy is important, particularly for small territories where bigger countries have tremendous advantage over these small nations.

“Your leadership built on vision, honesty and integrity is serving us well and allows us to work closely together to better improve the future of our people,” Bush told Schotte.

Schotte resigned on August 3, after his government lost its majority in Parliament. Schotte also dissolved Parliament and called elections for October 19, 2012.

After Schotte’s resignation, the majority in parliament, consisting of the political parties PAR, PNP, FOL and two independent members, claimed that Schotte is not only still handling current affairs but is starting new projects and misusing public funds for political purposes. They therefore requested the governor to form an interim government to handle ongoing affairs and to prepare for the upcoming elections.

After consultation with various experts in constitutional affairs, the governor decided to appoint Eduard “Dito” Mendes de Gouveia to form an interim government.

On Saturday, the new interim government in Curacao was sworn in by the acting governor.

Bush became premier of the Cayman Islands following the general election in 2009, and in addition to assuming the post of premier, he also currently serves as minister of finance, tourism and development for the current United Democratic Party (UDP) administration. He previously served as the leader of the opposition from May 2005 to May 2009.

In late 2010, the Cayman Islands police opened an investigation into Bush relating to alleged financial irregularities dating from October 2004, and that investigation continues. The governor of the Cayman Islands, Duncan Taylor, has declined to appoint a commission of enquiry whilst the police investigation is ongoing.

In April 2012, the Royal Cayman Islands Police Service confirmed that Bush is the subject of three ongoing investigations, including the investigation revealed in late 2010. Two of the investigations are related to financial irregularities and the other to “involvement of the premier in the periphery of a recent incident where a quantity of explosives was imported to the Cayman Islands without the necessary permit."

Republished with permission of the Curacao Chronicle

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