GEORGE TOWN, Cayman Islands (CMC) — Political parties in this British Overseas territory are now scrambling to form coalitions on Thursday, after no single party clinched a majority following Wednesday’s general election.

According to two preliminary results, the People’s Progressive Movement won seven seats in Parliament, the most out of all parties, but was three short of a majority.

Meanwhile, two newly-formed parties — the Cayman Islands National Party, founded by a former manager at Ernst & Young, and the Caymanian Community Party, established by members of the dissolved United People’s Movement — won four seats each.

Three independent candidates also won seats in Parliament, and parties are expected to court them and form a coalition.

The leader of the party that wins at least 10 of the 19 elected seats in Parliament would have become the new premier. Two other Parliament seats are appointed.

Meanwhile, in one of the biggest political upsets in recent history, an independent candidate, Julie Hunter, won the seat held by veteran politician McKeeva Bush for 40 years.

Bush, a former premier of the Cayman Islands, was ousted following corruption accusations that he denied.

His run-ins with the law continued, and in a separate case, he pleaded not guilty to charges that he groped a female employee at a casino.

In October 2022, Bush resigned as the speaker of Parliament following other allegations of sexual harassment.

Voters also participated in a nonbinding referendum.

They voted in favour of decriminalising the possession and consumption of small amounts of marijuana and of creating a national lottery, but they rejected a proposal to develop cruise berthing infrastructure, which environmentalists had opposed.