Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar kept her cards close to her chest yesterday as she dismissed media reports suggesting a looming Cabinet reshuffle. Speaking with reporters after the formal commissioning of the $56 million Siparia market and conference facility at High Street, Siparia, the PM admitted discussions on the composition of the Cabinet were taking place.
She added: “All kinds of changes are possible. As I say we have to find ways to improve accountability, governance measures and it has to be done at two levels, at the government level and at party level. “I have not made any final decisions. We are still in the process of introspection and reflection and consultation with government parties at this time. It will be premature of me to say today x or y.”
Persad-Bissessar described as “premature” a newspaper report yesterday that National Security Minister Emmanuel George and Communications Minister Jamal Mohammed would be axed tomorrow. She said: “I have not had a full discussion with MPs and ministers and therefore it is premature. I am still in discussions with the party groups.
“Tomorrow we have a lot of those party meetings and that is where we have to go. I do not think we should jump across the bridge when we have not yet reached that bridge. We need to have that discussion and that consultation.” If Persad-Bissessar makes another Cabinet reshuffle it will be the third shake-up of her People’s Partnership regime which is in its third year. The Government has come under fire after the country recorded 17 murders in the past seven days.
Yesterday, Persad-Bissessar said the recent rise in murders was of “grave concern” to her but said in the past it had been noted that during August there is a spike in serious crimes. “As you may recall, the month of August always seems to have a lot of activities. That is not an excuse or a reason... that just means that the security services should be prepared and more prepared, knowing that August tends to spike,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said at a recent National Security Council meeting she asked the heads of the national security forces for their plan to deal with the spike and they indicated that they had beefed up and would continue to beef up security forces. “We continue to try to work and bring the forces together and do more than we are doing at this time. I am very saddened by this upsurge, as I am sure every citizen is feeling at this time,” she said.
Persad-Bissessar said she would hold a meeting of the National Security Council tomorrow to discuss the current spike in murders.