Gail Alexander
Senior Political Reporter
The “new” Cabinet of Prime Minister Stuart Young is the old Cabinet of former Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley—and the same Cabinet with a minor reshuffle cannot solve the problems that they created, says Opposition Leader Kamla Persad-Bissessar.
Persad-Bissessar yesterday outright dismissed Young’s Cabinet in an immediate response following members’ appointment at President’s House, St Ann’s. The team was appointed five hours after Young was sworn in as PM.
Along with Young’s appointment yesterday morning, Arouca Maloney MP/PNM lady vice chairman Camille Robinson-Regis was also sworn in as Attorney General, replacing Reginald Armour.
Among the Cabinet appointments done yesterday afternoon, most of the 27-member team retained the portfolios they held as members of the Rowley cabinet, with just over a handful of changes. Most significantly, former Finance Ministry permanent secretary/UK High Commissioner Vishnu Dhanpaul was appointed at new Finance Minister, replacing Colm Imbert, who was named new Public Utilities Minister, and National Security, to which former Public Utilities Minister Marvin Gonzales was appointed.
Persad-Bissessar said, “Dhanpaul was the permanent secretary for (former Finance Minister Colm) Imbert for years. It’s Dhanpaul’s advice to Imbert that has the country in economic ruin, he can’t salvage the mess because he made it ... they have actually managed to replace Imbert with someone worse.”
Claiming Dhanpaul wasn’t competent, Persad-Bissessar alleged that his “only achievement in public life is facilitating the PNM to award over $4 billion dollars in financing contracts” to a company with ties to a Government official.
Persad-Bissessar added, “Marvin can’t find water on a tropical island. He’s been one of the most incompetent ministers ever. Between Marvin and Camille, safety and security is done. This ‘new’ Cabinet is the same old Cabinet. It’s a joke.”
She added, “Make no mistake, it is indeed the same old failed Cabinet with a minor reshuffle. It’s also a signal that Marvin is your National Security Minister for the next five years if the PNM wins upcoming general elections. That’s a frightening thought for citizens.
“Then they also threw out Adrian Leonce from his Laventille East/Morvant seat but now make him a minister. They have no idea what they are doing,”
Persad-Bissessar said she was already anticipating the responses to the appointments.
“However, I expect the business chambers spokespersons and the eat-a-food fake elites to praise this reshuffle because there is not a boot that exists that they won’t lick for a dollar at the expense of the average citizens. Of course, some people will be fooled. However, the same cabinet with a minor reshuffle cannot solve the problems that they created.”
Persad-Bissessar alleged that Young retained the Energy portfolio “because he is tied to Maduro ... Rowley will flee the country and Stuart will have to follow him soon.”
She also reinforced her view that T&T’s democracy was subverted and sold to financiers, “… aided and abetted by 20 cowardly PNM MPs who sold out their people and so they could continue eating a food. Today, PNM Judas MPs collected their 30 pieces of silver …”