It's been a long and contentious separation, but the Prime Minister today confirmed to Cabinet that Mark Espat and Cordel Hyde will be back by the end of the week. Mark Espat will return as Minister of Investment with responsibility for the free zone, and Minister of National Development. Cordel Hyde will return as Minister of Housing, Youth, Sports, and Defense. For Espat it's a mild downgrade as he will not regain the tourism ministry, while Hyde gets back the same ministries and additionally gets the prestigious ministry of defense.
The Prime Minister, who decides Cabinet postings, relayed the decision to Cabinet today where, we are informed, it was not met with universal acclaim, as some ministers will have to downsize their portfolios to accommodate the re-entry of two representatives, who as backbenchers were fierce critics of the administration. At a press briefing this afternoon, the Prime Minister said he would not disclose what was said in Cabinet but he confirmed that a shuffle is imminent.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa, Prime Minister of Belize
"I don't propose to go into issues that are discussed in Cabinet, except what we put out as the minutes from the Cabinet, but I will say that yes there has been ongoing discussions with the two said gentlemen in terms of their return to Cabinet."
Question: Will that be done as a reshuffle?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"Yes, could be."
Jules Vasquez,
At what stage are those talks at and is it realistic to expect their return into the Cabinet by the end of this week?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"The talks have been ongoing, yes, and there is a distinct possibility of your projection turning out to be correct."
Jules Vasquez,
And is that something you and your colleagues in Cabinet are comfortable with, they have accused you of various and a long list of misdeeds most notably that you have betrayed the creed of the People's United Party?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"I've been long enough in politics to know that statements are made by colleagues, certainly backbenchers have a right to be critical of your government. The main thing is that I did not sense at anytime that there was anything personal involved here. I did not attribute any of their criticisms to a personal attack on me or to any colleague in the Cabinet or in the National Assembly. We had policy differences and no doubt we will continue to have. As a backbencher they had that prerogative, that license if you like, to speak their minds in the National Assembly and as a politician I have learnt to live with that."
Jules Vasquez,
But how can it not be personal when they say you are a puppet for 15 years for the master Michael Ashcroft?
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"Well you see here again you go Jules. I didn't read, in fact I listened to the speech very carefully and I didn't sense that the representative was saying that I was the puppet."
Jules Vasquez,
He said your administration.
Rt. Hon. Said Musa,
"Administration yeah."
As we noted the Prime Minister made those remarks at a press briefing held this afternoon in the Cabinet room in Belmopan.
