Also commenting today was the new Minister with responsibility for religious affairs, Henry Charles Usher.
We caught him at another event and asked about the first Cabinet shuffle of the Briceno administration:
Hon. Henry Charles Usher, Chairman, People's United Party
"What I can say as the press release said very clearly, the prime minister did an annual review of all the cabinet posts to look at performance, to look at effectiveness and in his judgment this is the best way forward and I fully support his judgment. We all serve as ministers at the pleasure of the prime minister, so at any point the can come and say, "Minister Usher, I want you to take over this portfolio or I want this portfolio to be removed from you." We serve at his pleasure and if he is going to do an annual review, and I welcome the annual review really from our leader, it shows good leadership on his part to look at all the ministries, to look at the performance of the ministers and to see how best that we can govern in accordance with Plan Belize and with our governance objectives."
Reporter
"From your understanding was it the case that Minister Chebat's performance was not up to par?"
Hon. Henry Charles Usher
"I think the prime minister reviewed performance of all ministers and so he made the best judgement possible as the prime minister of this country."
Reporter
"Your confidence in Minister Bernard's leadership?"
Hon. Henry Charles Usher
"I can tell you that Minister Kevin Bernard is an excellent manager and excellent administrator. He displayed that as a 3-4 term mayor of Orange Walk Town, he has displayed that in just a single year. He has created a ministry from nothing; the Ministry of E-Governance, he created that, he has brought it to the forefront, he has really brought that portfolio forward and so I have every confidence that as minister of health he will be able to carry out the objectives of PlanBelize and objectives of this government."
