Charles: PM’s prerogative to assign portfolios

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley

Chief Secretary, Kelvin Charles says he is not surprised that Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has made changes to the Cabinet.

“It is the Prime Minister’s prerogative to assign portfolios as he considers appropriate. I am certain that as situations arise the Prime Minister will adjust the design of his administration to ensure continued strategic fit,” Charles told Newsday Tobago on Monday.

THA Minority Leader, Watson Duke, however, said PM Rowley’s actions were becoming more and more confusing and there was no rationale for the reshuffle of ministers.

“Making Stuart Young the Minister of National Security, overloading him with so many portfolios, and making the former Minister of National Security the Minister of Housing, knowing he had some serious challenge in the courts in the United States with the housing programme, is ridiculous.

“I am not sure if the Prime Minister is thinking but he needs to evaluate himself and understand that his decision is not coming across as meaningful nor are they coming across as serious. He needs to take a serious position in terms of what he is doing,” Duke said.

Ministerial changes were announced by way of a media release from the Office of the Prime Minister just after midnight on Monday. Rowley advised President Paula-Mae Weekes to revoke Edmund Dillon’s appointment as National Security Minister. Communications Minister Stuart Young replaces him. A statement issuedTh erelease issued around 12.24 am said Young retains his communications portfolio and also remains a minister in the OPM. His appointment as Minister in the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs was revoked.

Rowley's assignment as Housing Minister was revoked and Dillon, a former TT Defence Force Chief of Staff, has been appointed Housing Minister.

The PM had assumed the housing portfolio in a Cabinet reshuffle on April 9 which saw Darryl Smith reassigned from the Sports Ministry and becoming a minister in the Housing Ministry before he was fired from that post 24 hours later.

The latest reshuffle also saw the duties of La Horquetta/Talparo MP Maxie Cuffie further reduced from Minister to Parliamentary Secretary in the Public Administration Ministry. Cuffie had a stroke last September and spent months recuperating at a hospital in Washington, DC.

Cuffie returned home on July 27 and is expected to return to work in early September. In April, Rowley had Cuffie reassigned from Public Administration Minister to Minister in the Public Administration Ministry. He also promoted Port of Spain South MP Marlene McDonald from a minister in that ministry to Public Administration Minister.

The PM also told the President that McDonald returned to work last Thursday. McDonald had pneumonia last month and had been on sick leave.

The statement said the President made these ministerial changes in accordance with the provisions of Sections 3(9), 76(3) and 79(1) and 82(1) of the Constitution on the PM's advice.

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