Panday dismisses reshuffle: No business as usual

OPPOSITION LEADER Basdeo Panday declared that yesterday’s Cabinet reshuffle simply means “it will be no business as usual” for the ruling People’s National Movement. Speaking in the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister unveiled a host of sweeping changes to his Cabinet. Among the major changes were the relocation of Colm Imbert, Dr Keith Rowley, Camille Robinson-Regis, John Rahael and Pennelope Beckles to head the Ministries of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education, Housing, Planning and Development, Health and Public Utilities/Environment respectively. The appointments of John Jeremie as Attorney-General, Howard Chin Lee as Tourism Minister and Martin Joseph as National Security Minister came as no surprise to any of the members of the public gallery or the assembled horde of journalists.

Speaking afterwards with Newsday, Panday said: “The real question is having heard the Cabinet reshuffle, would the population feel there would be less crime? Will the population feel there is less discrimination, victimisation? Does the population feel that unemployment would rise? Does the population feel that we will have a higher investment? That the economy will boom? The answer is no because what has really happened is you move one person from one position and put them into another position. Nothing has really happened and the population will see that nothing has happened.”

The UNC leader said the changes announced by Manning were “cosmetic. I don’t think that anyone believes there is going to be any change really,” Panday remarked. Asked if he was happy to see Chin Lee replaced as National Security Minister, given the UNC’s longstanding call for his removal, Panday said: “I am never happy to see Mr Chin Lee.”  However, Opposition Chief Whip Ganga Singh was skeptical over the method whereby Jeremie was selected as Attorney-General to replace Glenda Morean-who is now Trinidad and Tobago’s new High Commissioner to London with attached diplomatic responsibilities for Germany, France, Denmark and Sweden. Singh charged that Jeremie’s appointment was due in large part to the various State briefs his law firm received over the last two years. He challenged Jeremie to publicly disclose the nature of those briefs. Singh added that only when this is done will the public be able to determine whether Jeremie will “continue with the incompetence of his predecessor.”