Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley announced a Cabinet reshuffle yesterday, advising Paula-Mae Weekes, president of Trinidad and Tobago of a number of changes, including the removal of minister of public administration and communications, Maxie Cuffie, who will now serve as minister in the ministry of public administration and communications.
Rowley himself briefly held the position as minister of public administration and communications during the last few months after the now former minister Cuffie suffered a debilitating stroke last September.
Rowley has now officially transferred the substantive ministerial portfolio over to Marlene McDonald, who was recently returned to the Government after being dismissed on two occasions since the People’s National Movement came to power in 2015.
Rowley will now take over the position of minister of housing and urban development, replacing Randall Mitchell, who has been appointed the minister of tourism, while former tourism minister Shamfa Cudjoe has been appointed as the new minister of sport and youth affairs.
The shuffle was met with mixed reaction locally, with some expressing keen interest in looking forward to working with the new ministers, while others said that this is an insult and a shameless attempt to take attention away from the scandals of the individuals involved.
The new appointees are to be sworn in by Weekes before the next sitting of the House tomorrow April 11, 2018.
