Caribbean News
“The Most Incredible Man” Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart is gone; profound grief in a Corporate memo
#Caribbean – January 5, 2020 — “Unbelievable” is how his son and Deputy Chairman of Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart described the passing of his father – the founder of Sandals Resorts International – in a memorandum to general managers and Directors of their resorts and companies around the region.
It was just last week that Butch Stewart was reaffirming his commitment to these islands with the reopening of Beaches Turks and Caicos on December 21. In a joint statement Stewart had said: “We are committed to this long-term agreement and working together for the betterment of the country. I wish to commend those who work tirelessly to put Turks and Caicos on the map; our incredible staff and the dedicated executive team led by the steadfast Adam Stewart. We will now turn our attention to what we do best: introducing the World to the beauty and hospitality of these extraordinary Islands.”
Those were the Chairman’s final publically expressed words to Turks and Caicos as the largest employer in the private sector and a 25-year investor.
Gordon ‘Butch’ Stewart died at hospital in Florida informed one news agency out of Jamaica; after 52 years in business on his own, he had amassed the most celebrated all-inclusive resorts in the world. A Caribbean man, employing some 10,000 people across more than 20 hotel properties in the most sought after islands at the most stunning vistas in the region.
St. Lucia, Barbados, Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, The Bahamas, Turks and Caicos and his home country of Jamaica will be especially grieved by the passing of this business titan and Caribbean icon.
The Hon Stewart had reportedly been ailing a long time and the younger likeness of Butch, Adam Stewart explained: “he chose to keep a very recent health diagnosis private and we respected that wish.”
Already there is an outpouring of shock and sadness at the loss of the resort mogul who is hailed as a marketing genius, who “lived a big life – husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, entrepreneur, statesman, dreamer…” said Adam Stewart in that memo.
“Together, we have all been part of something bigger than ourselves, led by a man who believed in us and who gave us opportunities to learn, grow and the tools to make dreams real. For him and because of him, we will continue to dream big and deliver on his certainty that true luxury is always best enjoyed by the sea.”
There is also concern among some staffers spanning industries including hospitality, travel, automotive, resort and media and to quell fears, there was this from Adam: “While I need to be with family right now, I look forward to speaking with you soon and sharing thoughts about the incredible future of this company built by this most incredible man.”
A big dreamer, said his son, who could dream bigger than anyone; he now rests and his many companies and dreams live on with an indelible legacy which will undoubtedly be played and replayed over the coming days and as the region comes to grips with the death and the loss of Gordon Stewart.
The Chairman was 79 years old.
By Deandrea Hamilton | Magnetic Media
October 14, 2025 – It’s being called political theatre — but for citizens, constitutional watchdogs, and democracy advocates across the Caribbean, it feels far more serious. Within a single week, two national parliaments — in Trinidad and Tobago and St. Kitts and Nevis — descended into turmoil as opposition members stormed out in protest, accusing their Speakers of bias, overreach, and abuse of parliamentary procedure.
For observers, the walkouts signal a deeper problem: erosion of trust in the very institutions meant to safeguard democracy. When Speakers are viewed as political enforcers instead of neutral referees, parliaments stop functioning as chambers of debate and start performing as stages for power and spectacle — with citizens left wondering who, if anyone, is still accountable.
October 6: St. Kitts Parliament Erupts
The first walkout erupted in Basseterre on October 6, 2025, when Dr. Timothy Harris, former Prime Minister and now Opposition Leader,
led his team out of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Assembly in a protest that stunned the chamber.
The flashpoint came as the Speaker moved to approve more than three years’ worth of unratified parliamentary minutes in one sitting — covering 27 meetings and three national budgets — without individual review or debate.
Dr. Harris called the move “a flagrant breach of the Constitution and parliamentary tradition,” warning that the practice undermines transparency and accountability. “No serious parliament can go years without approving a single set of minutes,” he said after exiting the chamber.
The Speaker defended the decision as administrative housekeeping, but critics were unconvinced, branding the move a “world record disgrace.” The opposition’s walkout triggered renewed calls for the Speaker’s resignation and sparked a wider public discussion about record-keeping, accountability, and respect for parliamentary norms in St. Kitts and Nevis.
October 10: Trinidad Opposition Follows Suit
Four days later, on October 10, 2025, the Opposition United National Congress (UNC) in Trinidad and Tobago staged its own walkout from the House of Representatives in Port of Spain.
The UNC accused the Speaker of partisan bias, claiming she had repeatedly blocked urgent questions, ignored points of order, and allowed government members to breach standing orders without consequence.
“The Speaker has failed in her duty to act impartially,” the Opposition declared in a statement. “Parliament is not the property of any political party or Presiding Officer.”
The dramatic exit was seen as a culmination of months of rising tension and frustration, with opposition MPs arguing that parliamentary rules were being selectively applied to silence dissenting voices.
Political analyst Dr. Marcia Ferdinand described the twin walkouts as “a warning sign that parliamentary democracy in the Caribbean is teetering on the edge of performative politics.”
“When chairs become political shields rather than constitutional referees,” she said, “democracy becomes theatre, not governance.”
A Pattern Emerging
While St. Kitts and Trinidad are very different political environments, both incidents point to the same regional fault line: the perception that Speakers — the guardians of parliamentary order — are no longer impartial.
In Westminster-style systems like those across the Caribbean, the Speaker’s authority depends not on power but on public confidence in fairness. Once that credibility erodes, parliamentary control collapses into confrontation.
Governance experts say the implications are serious: eroded trust between government and opposition, declining public confidence in state institutions, and growing voter cynicism that “rules” are flexible tools of political advantage.
Why It Matters
Parliamentary walkouts are not new in the Caribbean, but what makes these recent events different is their frequency and intensity — and
the regional echo they’ve created. Social media has amplified images of lawmakers storming out, with citizens from Barbados to Belize questioning whether the same erosion of decorum could be happening in their own legislatures.
Analysts warn that if this perception takes hold, it risks diminishing the moral authority of parliamentary democracy itself.
“Once opposition MPs believe the rules are rigged, and once citizens believe Parliament is just performance,” said one Caribbean governance researcher, “you’ve lost the most valuable currency in democracy — trust.”
Restoring Balance
Political reformers across the region are calling for tighter Standing Order enforcement, independent parliamentary service commissions, and training to strengthen Speaker neutrality. Civil society leaders say the public must also play its part by demanding transparency and refusing to normalize partisan manipulation of parliamentary procedure.
Whether these twin walkouts become catalysts for reform — or simply another episode of Caribbean political theatre — will depend on what happens next inside those chambers.
For now, democracy watchers agree on one thing: when opposition leaders feel the only way to be heard is to walk out, the entire democratic house — not just its Speaker — is in danger of collapse.
Angle by Deandrea Hamilton. Built with ChatGPT (AI). Magnetic Media — CAPTURING LIFE.
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