So, as you saw before the break - the drama has already started at the
Lands Department when Legal Officer, Llewllyn Usher was arrested by
police today after he tried to go to work, was detained and punched an
officer. Usher, a former cop, reportedly broke the nose of one of the
arresting officers and is expected to face charges.
But that's minor drama compared to what will unfold in the next few
days when Prime Minister Briceno has to whittle down a huge majority to
only 16 or 17 who can serve in the Cabinet.
We asked him about those tough issues staring him down already:
Reporter
"How soon will the GSU be disbanded?"
Hon. John Briceno - Prime Minister
"Well we expect that by sometime tomorrow we will be announcing the cabinet
and that Monday morning we are going to be having the Oath of office, we
have to do it in groups of 5 because of the pandemic and the instructions
and requests from the Governor General and then on Monday afternoon, we
plan to have our first cabinet briefing on the financial situation, on
COVID19, the flooding that is presently has been affecting us."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, how do you... you have 26 members elected with a massive mandate,
huge margins, how do you tell 10, maybe 11 of these people that you can't
be in the cabinet?"
Hon. John Briceno
"Well we always have to remember what we were elected for, we were elected
as representatives of the people of your constituency and not as a
minister, secondly the constitution prevents me from having everybody in
the cabinet, we can only have two thirds of those who have been elected so
we have to follow the law and we are going to do our best to have a proper
balance in the cabinet and to ensure that we could put the right people in
the right places."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir indications are that Chris Coye will be minister of state with
responsibility for finance and that Eamon Courtenay will be minister of…
minister…senator minister, sorry, I am using the wrong term, senator
minister with responsibility for foreign affairs and Attorney General, are
you able to speak about those extra representative appointments?"
Hon. John Briceno
"I think we will speak on that on Monday, tomorrow when we make the official
presentation of all the ministers and members of the cabinet."
Email
Print