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PRIME Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar caught many observers off-guard by her choice of her attorney general in former PNM AG John Jeremie, SC, when both were sworn in as the nucleus of a Cabinet on May 1, and since then speculation has run rife as to who else she will have sworn in as ministers on May 3.
Two political analysts joined in the speculation and shared their views with Newsday on May 2.
NACTA pollster Dr Vishnu Bisram said, "I expect it will be a large Cabinet, and a mix of the old and the new."
He said Persad-Bissessar will have 26 MPs plus 15 government senators, many of whom would expect ministerial positions.
"The only hold-overs will be Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal and Couva North MP Jearlean John and they will definitely be given ministries," he said reflecting on past UNC cabinets.
"I would be surprised if San Fernando West MP Dr Michael Dowlath is not made minister of education."
Bisram expects Oropouche West MP Dr Lackram Bodoe to be made minister of health.
He expects attorneys Barataria/San Juan MP Saddam Hosein and Aranguez/St Joseph MP Devesh Maharaj "to be in the line-up."
"There has been a lot of disappointment that Maharaj was not chosen as AG. But the Prime Minister probably has her reasons."
Newsday asked if AG John Jeremie would likely have an understudy, especially in light of past rumours of health issues.
Bisram said yes. He said at the recent swearing in of PM and AG, Jeremie's voice had not sounded strong. "Something was amiss."
Newsday asked about Tunapuna MP Roger Alexander being tipped for a post under the umbrella of national security but without him having had past parliamentary experience and not being a qualified attorney. Bisram replied that other past ministers of national security had been green to Parliament, as he cited Brig Joseph Theodore, who served in the Basdeo Panday administration.
Political scientist Dr Bishnu Ragoonath gave Newsday his opinion on how the appointments might be made the next day.
"I can't predict what she is going to do.
[caption id="attachment_1152946" align="alignnone" width="1024"] Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and Attorney General John Jeremie after they were sworn in on May 1 at President's House, St Ann's. - Photo by Faith Ayoung[/caption]
"I expect now that she has not only the 19 MPs that she had previously as shadow ministers, but now that she will have the additional seven UNC MPs plus the two in Tobago – an additional nine persons – plus she will have the 15 government members of the Senate."
The Tobago People's Party won the two Tobago seats on April 28 but the party has not said if it will join with the UNC.
Ragoonath said Persad-Bissessar will have available in both houses of Parliament and additional nine MPs and 15 senators, adding up to 24 extra parliamentarians, on top of the UNC's previous 19 MPs, from which to choose her ministers.
"So I can't say whether she will stick with these (incumbent 19) people.
"For example, Fyzabad MP Davendranath Tancoo has shadowed finance before.
"Will he remain in finance or will she bring in a specialist who she thinks could be a better finance minister? I am saying that."
He said many incumbent shadow ministers would likely be slotted over into the government.
"But I can't say who they will be.
"For instance, she has had Caroni Central MP David Lee in the Parliament as shadowing energy, but we also know she has been having (former energy minister) Kevin Ramnarine on the outside shadowing energy.
"So I can't say for sure what she is going to do, whether she is going to bring in for instance Kevin Ramnarine, to put him in energy, or whether she will give David Lee the energy portfolio."
Ragoonath was quite certain some of the senior MPs would get ministries, but who could not say which ministries or who.
"I am not saying that because they shadowed a ministry they will get it."
Ragoonath said he had not heard any rumours as to who would head which ministry. However he recalled the naming of the first Persad-Bissessar cabinet.
"Somebody told me this morning to always remember when they appointed the Cabinet in 2010, people got calls at 3 am and 4 am in the morning, to be given ministerial appointments.
"That is why not hearing anything now is not strange. Because the last time around, people were called at three o'clock in the morning prior to the swearing in.
"So if that trend continues, you are talking finalised by midnight tonight (Friday, May 2) or even after that, and then tell people exactly which ministry they are getting or if you are getting a ministry or not."
One approach to making a sensible reckoning of appointees is by examining which portfolios had been shadowed by which MPs (or senators) in Parliament, and also to consider each MP-elect's professional background. The highlights of the UNC's series of "mini-festos" were – healthcare reform, anti-crime plans and policies, criminal and civil justice, workers agenda, education policy direction, AI-digital-social media, agricultural cannabis expansion, youth development, government efficiency, and agriculture and food security.
Existing ministries include the Ministries of Agriculture, Attorney General (AG), Digital Transformation, Education, Energy, Finance, Foreign Affairs, Health, Housing, Labour, National Security, Planning, Public Administration, Public Utilities, Local Government, Social Development, Sports, Culture, Tourism, Trade, Works and Transport, and Youth Development.
In the last parliamentary term the shadow ministers were: Ministry of Agriculture (ex-MP Ravi Ratiram), Attorney General (Hosein, Senator Jayanti Lutchmedial), Digital Transformation (ex-MP Rushton Paray), Education (ex-MP Anita Haynes), Energy (Caroni Central MP David Lee); Finance (Fyzabad MP Davendranath Tancoo); Foreign Affairs (ex-MP Rodney Charles); Health (Oropouche West MP Dr Lackram Bodoe, Caroni East MP Dr Rishad Seecharan); Housing (Oropouche East MP Dr Roodal Moonilal); Labour (ex-MP Rudanath Indarsingh), National Security (Moonilal, Hosein); Local Government (St Augustine MP Khadijah Ameen); Planning (Charles); Public Utilities (Barry Padarath), Social Development (Vandana Mohit), Sport (ex-MP Arnold Ram), Culture (Moruga/Tableland MP Michelle Benjamin), Tourism (Benjamin), Trade (Paray), Works and Transport (Moonilal), and Youth Development (ex-MP Arnold Ram).
San Fernando East MP Dr Michael Dowlath has spoken on education on UNC platforms during the recent election campaign.
Ex-senators who served were accountant/manager Jearlean John (MP for Couva North), trade unionist Wade Mark, footballer David Nakhid, businessman Damian Lyder, attorney Jayanti Lutchmedial-Ramdial and sports coach/broadcaster Anil Roberts.
Persad-Bissessar has proposed a new ministry of justice (as in her first administration) plus splitting the ministry of national security into two – a ministry of defence and a ministry of home affairs.
Moonilal and Hosein have been shadow spokesmen for national security.
The ministries of justice, defence, and home affairs could each be led by an attorney, such as Devesh Maharaj or Saddam Hosein, Jayanti Lutchmedial-Ramdial, Toco/Sangre Grande MP Wayne Sturge, and Claxton Bay MP Hansen Narine. Retired snr sup Roger Alexander is likely to go to home affairs, but lacks experience is law-making and parliamentary process, so would pair off with one of these attorneys. Newly-elected La Brea MP Clyde Elder and Point Fortin MP Ernesto Kesar, as ex-trade unionists, could serve in the Ministry of Labour, or otherwise.
 
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