ST. JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Prime Minister Gaston Browne Friday unveiled an eight-member Cabinet that was sworn into office following Wednesday’s nail-biting general election that resulted in his ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) being returned to office for a third consecutive occasion but with a drastically reduced majority.
“I am not a fan of bringing individuals through the Senate to serve as ministers. I believe it is important to pay attention to the quality of the candidates who the people elect and who could also serve as ministers,” Browne told reporters at the swearing-in ceremony.
The ABLP won the general election by a 9-8 margin, down from the comfortable 15-2 majority it had enjoyed in the last Parliament.
Apart from the main opposition United Progressive Party (UPP) won six seats-five more than it previously had- another successful candidate was Asot Michael, a former government minister who fell out with Prime Minister Browne and was prevented from contesting the St. Peter constituency on a ticket of the ruling party. Michael, who had been the parliamentary representative for the area over the past four general elections, won the seat as an independent candidate.
Browne told reporters that the government ministers who lost their seats in the general election have consolidated portfolios among the eight new cabinet members, with the veteran Sir Robin Yearwood agreeing to serve as a government backbencher. He had held the position of Senior Minister in the last administration.
‘What we tried to do is to ensure that there were synergies within the respective consolidation that took place. For example, there is an apparent synergy between Housing and Work, even in agriculture and trade.
“So I think we have achieved that, and I am confident that even though the team is smaller that we will have a far more responsive team, and the people of Antigua and Barbuda, in essence, will get from less,” he said.
Browne said that Sir Robin had taken a “very magnanimous position to serve as the backbencher,” adding he is “someone we would have loved to have on the front line because of his experience, but at the same time recognizing that he is transitioning he has agreed to serve as the backbencher.
“This is not a situation where we are jettisoning him or disrespecting his contribution over the years, but if anything, will continue to preserve and promote his contribution,” Browne said, adding, “I don’t think there has been anyone within this hemisphere or even globally who has served in Parliament for 50 consecutive years…and we hope that God will continue to bless him”.
Prime Minister Browne said, in addition, Sir Robin, who has served as a representative for St. Phillip’s North since 1978, will also be appointed Deputy Speaker in keeping with the provisions of the Antigua and Barbuda Constitution where “one of us had to serve as the Deputy Speaker.
“He has taken the great position to assist the team by serving in that capacity and obviously to ensure we can appoint the others as cabinet ministers. For that, we will be eternally grateful.
Browne said that the government’s agenda going forward would also be informed by the results of the general election, particularly in the area of the delivery of water.
“We have made investments, and we are pretty confident that within the coming months after we have installed the additional plant… the people of Antigua and Barbuda will see, let’s say, a substantial improvement in water delivery.
‘We thank them for their patience because it is the kind of issue that would have caused us to lose elections, and we recognize that some people may have voted against us because of several issues that we just could not solve primarily because of the residual effects of COVID, the escalation in food prices, fuel prices….”
The following is the list of the members of the Cabinet.
Gaston Browne- Prime Minister, Minister for Finance, Corporate Governance, and Public Private Partnership.
Steady Benjamin –Attorney General and Minister for Legal Affairs, Public Safety, Immigration, and Labour.
Sir Molwyn Joseph –Minister of Health, Wellness, Social Transformation, and the Environment.
Paul Chet Green – Minister of Foreign Affairs, Agriculture, Trade and Barbuda Affairs.
Henry Charles Fernandez –Minister for Tourism, Civil Aviation, Transportation, and Investment.
Melford Nicholas – Minister for Information, Communication Technologies, Information (ICT), Utilities, and Energy.
Maria Browne – Minister for Housing, Works, Land, and Urban Renewal.
Daryll Mather- Minister for Education, Creative Industries, and Sport.
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