The swearing-in ceremony of a total of 34 ministers and parliamentary secretaries formed the People's Partnership Cabinet yesterday. President George Maxwell Richards swore 24 government ministers, three ministers in ministries, two ministers of state and five parliamentary secretaries into office at the Knowsley Building, Queen's Park Savannah.
Political leader of the Congress of the People Winston Dookeran has been given the portfolio of Minister of Finance as promised by Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar at a recent political rally. Jack Warner will now head the Minister of Works and Transport, while Dr Tim Gopeesingh, MP for Caroni East, is now the Minister of Education, and not Minister of Health as many have anticipated.
A new ministry–Ministry of Food Production–will be run by former St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath. Newcomer on the political scene, university lecturer Therese Baptiste-Cornelis has the task of leading the Ministry of Health. (RKR)
New Cabinet
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MINISTERS
Jack Warner–Minister of Works and Transport.
Winston Dookeran–Minister of Finance.
John Sandy–Minister of National Security.
Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan–Minister of Energy and Energy Affairs.
Dr Surujrattan Rambachan–Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam–Minister of Public Administration.
Fazal Karim–Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education.
Therese Baptiste-Cornelis–Minister of Health.
Emmanuel George–Minister of Public Utilities.
Vasant Bharath–Minister of Food Production.
Mary King–Minister of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs.
Chandresh Sharma–Minister of Local Government.
Dr Roodal Moonilal–Minister of Housing and the Environment.
Stephen Cadiz–Minister of Trade and Industry.
Rupert Griffith–Minister of Tourism.
Herbert Volney–Minister of Justice.
Glenn Ramadharsingh–Minister of People and Social Development.
Dr Tim Gopeesingh–Minister of Education.
Nizam Baksh–Minister of Community Development.
Prakash Ramadhar–Minister of Legal Affairs.
Errol McLeod–Minister of Labour, Small and Micro Enterprise Development.
Anil Roberts–Minister of Sport and Youth Affairs.
Vernell Alleyne-Toppin–Minister of Tobago Development.
Winston Peters–Minister of the Arts and Culture.
MINISTERS IN MINISTRIES
Rudranath Indarsingh–Ministry of Works and Transport.
Clifton DeCoteau–Ministry of Education
Delmon Baker–Ministry of Tourism.
MINISTERS IN STATE
Colin Partap–Office of the Prime Minister
Rodger Samuel–Office of the Prime Minister.
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIES
Kevin Ramnarine–Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs.
Stacy Roopnarine–Ministry of Sport and Youth Affairs.
Jairam Seemungal–Ministry of Legal Affairs.
Nela Khan–Ministry of the Arts and Culture.
Ramona Ramdial–Ministry of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs.