About Referendum Day in the Cayman Islands
Referendum Day will be a public holiday in the Cayman Islands on Thursday December 19th 2019. It was gazetted to enable citizens to participate in a vote on the government’s $200 million cruise berthing and cargo port facility, which Premier Alden McLaughlin announced in October 2019.
Update: the referendum has been delayed, but the public holiday will still be observed. When a new date for the referendum, it is also likely to be a public holiday.
Governor Martyn Roper, using his powers under the Public Holidays Law (2007 Revision), issued the order to proclaim the official holiday for the historic people-initiated referendum.
The public holiday order outlined that, for this year only, “for the purposes of holding a referendum on the matter of whether the Islands should continue to move forward with the building of the cruise berthing and enhanced cargo port facility, 19th December shall be a Public General Holiday”.
While Referendum Day will be a public holiday, licensed bars and similar establishments will be permitted to remain open to minimise disruption during the holiday season, according to a prior government statement.
