Today, September 22, 2023, during the Fourth Sitting of the First Meeting of the 2023-24 Session of Parliament, MP Dwayne “John John” Seymour announced his resignation from the PACT Government. He is the second Minister of Labour to do so in six months.
Explaining the reasons for his resignation, MP Seymour read a letter he said was addressed to Her Excellency the Governor Mrs Jane Owen.
According to MP Seymour, the letter read as follows:
Your Excellency, it is with extreme regret that after much prayer and consideration, I hereby tender my resignation as a Minister in the PACT Government, effective immediately.
Since being elected in 2009, never have I experienced such disorganization and lackluster leadership.
I honestly crossed the floor in November 2021 in order to assist this government and to lend my experience further.
It was an attempt to give the country some calm and assurances.
Commenting on PACT’s leadership in the letter, he said:
In my opinion, the autocratic way manner in which the Premier of this country leads his caucus leaves me much to be desired.
It is my experience that it is his way or no way.
The Premier’s failure to adequately engage and empower the civil service, his inability to keep his PACT group cohesive and focused.
His inability to get the 2024-2025 budget completed and a timely and consultative manner, his inability to listen, and his inability to show fairness to all of his caucus are untenable.
Seymour added: “In my respectful opinion, our country needs leadership that has its entire Caucus support and one that our constituents can feel proud and inspired.”
The letter ended with Seymour stating as follows:
The Premier must ensure a people centred government and provide hope for people during these challenging times.
Please accept my assurances that in spite of this resignation, I am fully and deeply committed and remain passionate about serving my country as Member of Parliament, and I am willing to continue to serve faithfully in a similar capacity for the benefit of our country and beloved people.
May God continue to bless these Cayman Islands.
Seymour then made comments following the reading of the letter.
Based on these subsequent statements, it appears that he did not have a complete falling out with all members of the PACT Government.
He explained: “I have some great friends on this side, there’s some great people on this side, there’s some people who are new to politics but some who could mature in the position of Premiership.”
He said, however, that everything had taken a “toll” on him, forcing him to divorce himself from the leadership.
Seymour then hinted at the event that forced him to make this sudden decision.
He said:
Madam Speaker, what happened last night was the final straw.
I just want to say at the civil service there are people too and they deserve respect as they not only do an awesome job.
The specifics of the event that Seymour referred to last night were not revealed but appeared severe enough for him to resign a newly appointed post of Minister of Labour.
Seymour ended his commentary by saying, “The country deserves this breath of fresh air.”
Two ministerial resignations in the space of six months now leave members of the public speculating whether an early election is on the horizon.
