New Govt begins to take shape

Foreign Affairs Minister Designate Carl Greenidge

Harmon, Greenidge, Jordan for key ministries

BY GOMATIE GANGADIN

The newly-elected A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition Government has begun to take shape with at least five persons identified to head key Ministries including foreign affairs, finance and security.

Speaking to Guyana Times on Monday afternoon, acting Head of the Presidential Secretariat Joseph Harmon disclosed that former Finance Minister under the PNC Government Carl Greenidge will take up the post of Foreign Affairs Minister; Former Director of Budget and Economist Winston Jordan will now head the Finance Ministry; Attorney Basil Williams will head the Legal Affairs Ministry, while Dr Rupert Roopnaraine is touted to be the next Natural Resources and Environment Minister.

Finance Minister Designate Winston Jordan

Dr Roopnaraine on Monday morning travelled to Region Eight (Potaro- Siparuni) where a mining pit caved in at Mowsie Landing, killing 10 miners. This had served to cement speculations that he would be made responsible for that Ministry.

Meanwhile, Guyana Times was able to confirm that Harmon will now be made Minister of State, which will replace the post of Head of the Presidential Secretariat.

He however cautioned that the identified persons have not yet been confirmed in the various capacities since Parliament has not yet been reconvened and they would first have to be sworn in as Members of Parliament before they take up the ministerial posts.

When Harmon was asked whether the new Government was considering convening Parliament before Independence Day, he replied, “Once it is possible for us to do that, I think we may. Parliament has been prorogued for far too long; it’s almost 10 months and so we need a reconvening as soon as possible.”

President David Granger has promised to reconvene Parliament within 14 days or “early June”, noting too that Parliament had been prorogued for far too long.

As it relates to other positions, Harmon said that Granger was meeting with Prime Minister-elect Moses Nagamootoo up to press time to first decide the number of Ministries which will be established, before deciding on the positions to be held and by whom. However, this publication has been reliably informed that there will be 15 Ministries, with the APNU taking nine while AFC will be given six.

In the meantime, General Secretary of the AFC, David Patterson indicated to this publication that the alliance has not yet decided on the persons to fill their allocated posts. He did however say that the Cummingsburg Accord was being followed and it was a guide to who was getting what.

According to the Cummingsburg Accord, which was signed between the two parties on February 14, the AFC would benefit from an enhanced prime ministerial position held by Moses Nagamootoo chairing the Cabinet.

The AFC will significantly also hold 40 per cent of the Cabinet positions, inclusive of the Ministries of Home Affairs, Tourism, Agriculture and Public Works.

Khemraj Ramjattan, Leader of the AFC will likely head the Home Affairs Ministry, while Cathy Hughes will hold responsibility for Tourism.  It is unclear who will head the Public Works Ministry from the AFC. Amna Ally who served in the 10th Parliament as Shadow Education Minister, will transition to hold that portfolio, with Nigel Hughes being tipped to become the next Attorney General if the coalition decides to split the Legal Affairs Minister and Attorney General posts.