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SLP reshuffles cabinet for next 5-year-term
Although returned to ministerial posts, Sarah Flood-Beaubrun, Menissa Rambally and Velon John have all seen their portfolios significantly downgraded in the newly formed Labour government cabinet. Matters of Health were taken away from Flood-Beaubrun and assigned to Damian Greaves instead, with Jon Odlum serving as parliamentary secretary. Flood-Beaubrun has been given responsibility for Gender Relations and Home Affairs, which includes matters of immigration, prisons, correctional facilities and youth delinquency. Velon John, who headed the ministry of Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and Labour from 1997, has seen his portfolio shrink to Labour Relations, Public Service and Co-operatives. Matters of Justice are now the responsibility of senator Petrus Compton, who has also been re-appointed Attorney-General. Menissa Rambally, who had inherited the ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation from Philip Pierre after a mid-term reshuffle some two years ago, has now been moved to a newly created portfolio of Social Transformation, Culture and Local Government. Heavyweights in the newly-appointed cabinet are the incumbents prime minister Dr Kenny Anthony (Finance, International Financial Services, Economic Affairs and Information), Mario Michel (once again minister for Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports), Philip J. Pierre (returned to Tourism and retaining Commerce, Investment and Consumer Affairs), new-comer Felix Finisterre who will head Communications and Works, Transport and Public Utilities, and senator Calixte George, previously of Communications and Works and now taking over Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries from Cassius Elias, who lost his seat in Micoud South. The other ministers are Walter Francois (back in Planning, Development, Environment and Housing) and Julian Hunte (returned to External Affairs and International Trade and taking on Civil Aviation). Besides Jon Odlum, also appointed as parliamentary secretary in the ministry of Health were Ignatius Jean (Agriculture) and Cyprian Lansiquot (Communications and Works).
The St Lucia Labour Party (SLP) convincingly won the December 3 general elections with 14 seats to 3, thereby for a second consecutive period controlling a constitutional majority in parliament - the first time that any party has done so in the independence era. For constitutional change, at least two-thirds of all votes in Parliament are required. The three seats lost to the United Workers Party (UWP) were those in Dennery North (Nicholas JnBaptiste), Micoud North (Marius Wilson) and Micoud South (Arsene James). UWP candidates came close to unseating Labour candidates in Gros Islet, where Leonard 'Spider' Montoute gave Mario Michel a run for his money, in Choiseul, where Rufus Bousquet came close to unseating Ferguson John. Neither the Alliance, nor the STAFF Party, nor any of the independent candidates succeeded in capturing a seat. Both former political honcho's George Odlum and Peter Josie, running for the Alliance, suffered resounding defeats at the polls.
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