BE SERVANTS OF THE PEOPLEBy Andre Bagoo Saturday, May 29 2010
PRIME MINISTER Kamla Persad-Bissessar yesterday ordered her newly sworn-in Cabinet to always remember that “the people are the government” and that as Cabinet members they must be “the servants of the people.”
In a twelve-minute address delivered moments after President George Maxwell-Richards swore- in the final members of the new 26-member Cabinet at Knowsley Building, Port-of-Spain, Persad-Bissessar gave a series of instructions to her coalition Government ministers.
“May I say to each of you that each day, you are expected to dedicate all of your energies towards ensuring that the people’s needs are being addressed,” she directed.
“All of us are held accountable to the people. Ours is a monumental task but it is one which is equally rewarding because there can be no greater call than that of national service.”
She reminded the new Cabinet that, “The people are the government. Please take these words and frame them on every desk of each of your ministries and recommit to them every single day of each month you are privileged to be in service to the nation,” she ordered.
“We must accept no mediocrity. Neither must we contribute to it in any way. There must be no room for arrogance. We must be faithful to a leadership style that is firm but humble, passionate and impatient for great achievements but ever conscious of the correct procedures.
“Lead by example. Follow by learning to listen. All of this is as much my mantra as it is your own. As of now, each of us is on trial. We begin to be tested as of this very moment. We carry a huge responsibility to get this nation back on track. So we must discover how to turn obstacles into opportunities, discover new ways of solving old problems. Inspire others by our enthusiasm and positive outlook.
“As members of the Cabinet of the People’s Partnership we are stewards of the nation’s future,” she noted. “My caution is never to become aloof, never lose sight of the true purpose of the position you hold. Stay grounded. Keep connected to the people. Earn their respect by the way you serve them.” Tellingly, Persad-Bissessar instructed ministers to leave politics at the door of their ministries.
“One of the hallmarks of our government must be that we serve every citizen with the same dedication regardless of their political affiliation. And we must never display any kind of party symbol during the conduct of our work as the Government of Trinidad and Tobago in or out of Parliament,” she said.
And in what was arguably a clear reference to previous administrations, she warned that, “Transparency and accountability must be evident in all government matters. We must be exemplars of the society, returning sound, traditional values of ethics and morals back into government. There is no room for personal egos, no time for personal agendas, and no opportunity for self glorification. This is not about us, it is about the people. And they have the power to dismiss us anytime.”
Persad-Bissessar’s comments came at the end of a swearing-in ceremony which began at 1.40 pm and which saw her unveil the final members of a Cabinet which included some fresh faces and arguably some surprises.
In addition to the Prime Minister and her Attorney General Anand Ramlogan, who were sworn in on Wednesday, 24 ministers were sworn in yesterday ahead of a planned convening of Parliament on June 14. Additionally, two Ministers of State (Office of the Prime Minister), three Ministers in the Ministries of Works and Transport, Education and Tourism, and five parliamentary secretaries, were sworn-in. Some portfolios were split, in addition to new ministries created to replace old ministries. The last Cabinet had 25 ministers, four ministers of State and one parliamentary secretary.
Many of the members sworn-in yesterday were perhaps all too weary of the grave responsibility they now shoulder, making errors in their oaths, possibly as a result of nervousness.
The very first minister to be sworn-in was UNC chairman Jack Warner who was made Minister of Works and Transport, even as he said he would not give up his post as FIFA Vice- President amidst questions of that post creating a conflict of interest.
Among the surprises was the appointment of Therese Baptiste-Cornelis as Minister of Health. The UNC’s Barataria/San Juan MP Dr Fuad Khan and Caroni East MP Dr Tim Gopeesingh had been tipped to be up for the post which had gone to a woman known, according to Persad- Bissessar, for her managerial prowess. Baptiste-Cornelis was a lecturer in Brand Equity & Advertising Strategy and Management of Information Systems at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business, and a management lecturer at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine .
At a press briefing after the ceremony, Persad-Bissessar told reporters that she sought to avoid putting a doctor in the Health Ministry, opting instead for someone who would be “a better fit” and “would bring management expertise” instead.
Khan was instead made Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, while Gopeesingh was made Minister of Education.
In relation to who will be the Speaker, Persad-Bissessar would only say that the person would come from outside of the elected MPs. There has been speculation that senior counsel Fyard Hosein, would be appointed Speaker.
Appointing nine persons as government senators with Cabinet portfolios, Persad-Bissessar is yet to name six more senators.
As for Senate President, attorney and Congress of the People member Timothy Hamel-Smith is being tipped for the post.
Well-known economist Mary King, a former Independent Senator, who now returns to Parliament as a Government Senator, was given the portfolio of Minister of Planning, Economic and Social Restructuring and Gender Affairs. King yesterday told Newsday that she hoped to achieve, “A change in the way we do things.”
“I was told by the Prime Minister that she was aware of my work, my articles on development reconstruction and she asked me to join her Cabinet so that we could implement it in order to transform the economy of Trinidad and Tobago,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar told reporters that King was a “brilliant economist” who would also be able to implement important plans to bring gender affairs into the mainstream government and to restructure the economy.
Another surprise was Rudrawatee Nan Ramgoolam, a relative political unknown, who was made Minister of Public Administration. Ramgoolam previously served as academic programme director at the Arthur Lok Jack Graduate School of Business.
Former St Augustine MP Vasant Bharath, a Basdeo Panday loyalist did not sign a letter endorsing Persad-Bissessar as Opposition Leader earlier this year but supported her afterward and on the General Election campaign, however he was given the new portfolio of Minister of Food Production, Land and Marine Affairs. Fazal Karim, the former UNC General Secretary who served under Panday, was made Minister of Science, Technology and Tertiary Education.
Dr Glenn Ramadharsingh, a veterinarian, was made Minister of the People and Social Development, an appointment which surprised many.
Tabaquite MP Dr Surujrattan Rambachan was made Minister of Foreign Affairs. The appointment surprised some, but Rambachan yesterday noted that he was once Ambassador to Brazil and served as a diplomat in Chile, Uraguay and Argentina.
Chaguanas East MP Stephen Cadiz was made Minister of Trade and Industry. Cadiz has been a businessman.
Emmanuel George, the brother-in-law of former PNM Attorney General Bridgid Annisette- George, was made Minister of Public Utilities. George, a retired public servant, has previously served as permanent secretary in several ministries in past administrations.
The other Cabinet ministers are: Minister of Finance Winston Dookeran, Minister of National Security Brigadier John Sandy, Minister of Energy Carolyn Seepersad-Bachan, Minister of Local Government Chandresh Sharma, Minister of Housing and the Environment Roodal Moonilal, Minister of Tourism Rupert Griffith, Minister of Justice Herbert Volney, Minister of Community Development Nizam Baksh, Minister of Legal Affairs Prakash Ramadhar.
Pointe-a-Pierre MP Errol McLeod was made Minister of Labour, D’Abadie/Omeara MP Anil Roberts, Minister of Sport, Vernella Alleyne Toppin, Minister of Tobago Development and Winston Peters, Minister of Arts and Culture.
Excluding Persad-Bissessar, there will be a total of five women in the Cabinet, but three women are also parliamentary secretaries. She yesterday said she would have liked to have seen more women in the Cabinet. “Will always like to see more women in the Cabinet,” she said.
While some Cabinet portfolios from the previous administration were split or re-allocated, some portfolios appeared to vanish. Notably there was no Ministry of Information. Persad-Bissessar explained that the latter post would be absorbed by the Office of the Prime Minister and was not deserving of an entire ministry.
Persad-Bissessar noted that an early budget is still on the cards as are local government elections which are due by October 11. She said the 120-day plan of the People’s Partnership was still in place. She said she was very happy with her Cabinet, but also added, “we can always do better.”
PEOPLE’S PARTNERSHIP GOVT
CABINET
PRIME MINISTER
KAMLA PERSAD-BISSESSAR
ATTORNEY GENERAL ANAND RAMLOGAN (SENATOR)
MINISTER OF FINANCE
WINSTON DOOKERAN (MP)
MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY, BRIGADIER JOHN SANDY (SENATOR)
MINISTER OF WORKS AND TRANSPORT JACK WARNER (MP)
MINISTER OF ENERGY AND ENERGY AFFAIRS CAROLYN SEEPERSAD-BACHAN (MP)
MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
DR SURUJRATTAN RAMBACHAN (MP)*
MINISTER OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION RUDRAWATEE NAN RAMGOOLAM
(SENATOR)
MINISTER OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND TERTIARY EDUCATION FAZAL KARIM
(SENATOR)
MINISTER OF HEALTH THERESE BAPTISTE-CORNELIS (SENATOR)
MINISTER OF PUBLIC UTILITIES EMMANUeL GEORGE (SENATOR)
MINISTER OF FOOD PRODUCTION, LAND AND MARINE AFFAIRS VASANT BHARATH (SENATOR)
MINISTER OF PLANNING, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL RESTRUCTURING AND GENDER AFFAIRS MARY KING (SENATOR)
MINISTER OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT
CHANDRESH SHARMA (MP)
MINISTER OF HOUSING AND ENVIRONMENT ROODAL MOONILAL (MP)*
MINISTER OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY STEPHEN CADIZ (MP)
MINISTER OF TOURISM DR RUPERT
GRIFFITH (MP)
MINISTER OF JUSTICE HERBERT VOLNEY (MP)
MINISTER OF THE PEOPLE AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT DR GLENN RAMADHARSINGH (MP)
MINISTER OF EDUCATION
DR TIM GOPEESINGH (MP)
MINISTER OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT NIZAM BAKSH (MP)*
MINISTER OF LEGAL AFFAIRS PRAKASH RAMADHAR (MP)
MINISTER OF LABOUR, SMALL AND MICRO ENTERPRISES ERROL MC LEOD (MP)
MINISTER OF SPORTS AND YOUTH AFFAIRS ANIL ROBERTS (MP)
MINISTER OF TOBAGO DEVELOPMENT
VERNELLA TOPPIN (MP)*
MINISTER OF ARTS AND CULTURE
WINSTON PETERS (MP)
MINISTERS IN MINISTRIES
RUDRANATH INDARSINGH, MINISTRY
OF WORKS AND TRANSPORT (MP)
CLIFTON DE COTEAU, EDUCATION (MP)
DELMON BAKER, TOURISM (MP)
DR LINCOLN DOUGLAS HEALTH (MP)
MINISTERS OF STATE
COLLIN PARTAP, OFFICE OF THE PM (MP)
RODGER SAMUEL, OFFICE OF THE PM (MP)
PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIES
KEVIN RAMNARINE, MINISTRY OF ENERGY AND ENERGY AFFAIRS (SENATOR)
STACY ROOPNARINE, MINISTRY OF SPORT AND YOUTH AFFAIRS (MP)
JAIRAM SEEMUNGAL, MINISTRY OF LEGAL AFFAIRS (MP)
NELA KHAN, MINISTRY OF ARTS AND
CULTURE (MP)
RAMONA RAMDIAL, PLANNING, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL
RESTRUCTURING AND GENDER AFFAIRS (MP)
DEPUTY HOUSE SPEAKER
DR FUAD KHAN (MP)
