Above: Alden McLaughlin

By Alexander Britell

Alden McLaughlin has been appointed as the new Premier of the Cayman Islands, Governor Duncan Taylor announced Tuesday.

The move comes after a decision by outgoing Cayman Islands Premier Juliana O’Connor-Connolly to join the People’s Progressive Movement, which gave the PPM the 10th seat it needed for a majority in the Legislative Assembly.

O’Connor-Connolly won her seat running as an independent in last week’s election, in which the PPM won 9 of 18 seats, one short of a majority.

On Tuesday, Cayman Governor Duncan Taylor announced that O’Connor-Connolly had joined the PPM, giving the party its 10th seat in the Legislative Assembly.

“I was today informed that the Hon. Juliana O’Connor-Connolly, MLA, JP has joined the People’s Progressive Movement,” Taylor said in a statement. “This, in effect, gives the PPM a majority of seats in the Legislative Assembly.”

“I subsequently received a recommendation from all the elected members of that party as to who they would wish to be appointed Premier,” Taylor said. “In line with their recommendation and under Section 49 (2) of the Constitution, I have this afternoon appointed the Hon. Alden M. McLaughlin, Jr, MLA, MBE, JP as Premier of the Cayman Islands.”

O’Connor-Connolly had served as Cayman’s Premier since December, when former Premier McKeeva Bush was removed after an arrest on suspicion of corruption. He was later formerly charged with corruption and awaits his next court date.

He did return to the Legislative Assembly last week, winning a seat in the West Bay District.