Rumors of an imminent Cabinet shuffle started to circulate from just a few days after the PUP's crushing defeat on March first, and today at noon, after long executive gestation, word came down from Belmopan. And while much was expected, very little was delivered, in fact, most political observers we spoke to say it seems cosmetic at best.
- The only real news of the shuffle is that Eamon Courtenay will now re-enter the Cabinet. Courtenay left his post as vice-chairman of the Belize Bank two weeks ago and will now be appointed as a Senator and then, he will take up the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. Courtenay had served previously as foreign trade minister but was removed from Cabinet by the Prime Minister on December 23rd 2004. So while he was kicked out of Cabinet just before Easter, he now returns just before Easter and that, we assure you, is about the only thing that can be said to be of biblical proportions in this shuffle.
- The only other consequential changes are that the former Minister of Foreign Affairs Godfrey Smith will now additionally take up the post as the PUP's Secretary General. Before his life as an elected representative, Smith served as Secretary General. Smith remains Minister of Tourism and Information.
- And Jose Coye will also return to the Ministry of Health, while he hands over the Ministry of Works to Mike Espat.
Taking over Agriculture and Fisheries from Mike Espat will be Vildo Marin, who now leaves the Ministry of Health behind.
And while the ministers play musical chairs, so do the junior ministers. Servulo Baeza and Marcial Mes, who had both been ministers without portfolio in the Prime Minister's office, have now been made ministers of state, a mostly titular transformation.
As we said, it is a mostly unremarkable set of changes and why so minimalist? Well only the Prime Minister can answer that one, but those insiders we spoke today that after the fallout of March first, the power balance within the party is delicate, perhaps too delicate to tamper with.
