BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, June 22, 2020 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — With the second term Team Unity Cabinet coming in with more members, Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris on Monday June 22 while chairing its first Cabinet meeting stated that arrangements are in high gear to place the new ministers, and the public will be advised accordingly by Thursday June 25.
“I am advised that the process of transitioning and settling of the various ministers is continuing,” said Prime Minister Harris, who was flanked by Cabinet Secretary Mrs Josephine Huggins. The meeting was opened after prayers were offered by Pastor Clive Saunders of Unique Touch Christian Centre, Romney Ground in Sandy Point.
The Prime Minister advised that post the general elections his government has had to reconfigure and re-designate new ministries and portfolios which has led to consequential issues of placement, and Cabinet Secretary has been charged with working the particular details.
The first term Team Unity Cabinet had seven elected ministers and two nominated ministers. An additional two elected ministers are in the second term Team Unity Cabinet, with four, the Hon Jonel Powell, the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, the Hon Eric Evelyn, and the Alexis Jeffers making ministerial debut in the Federal Assembly.
According to the Honourable Prime Minister, the Hon Jonel Powell, the Hon Akilah Byron-Nisbett, and the Hon Alexis Jeffers have already been placed, and the process is on-going for the Hon Eric Evelyn who should be placed by Thursday June 25 if not Tuesday June 23.
“So those things will continue and the Cabinet Secretary is available around the clock to provide any update with respect to these matters,” observed Dr Harris. “What we will certainly do soon as those arrangements are fully resolved, we will advise the general public so persons will know where they can find the particular ministers.”
Space has been found for the Hon Eugene Hamilton on Princess Street and according to the Prime Minister, it is likely that the Hon Wendy Phipps will also be in that location since there is a sufficiency of space. He said apart from those ministers, all the other ministers have had their issues fully resolved in terms of placement.
“There are one or two other issues that have to be addressed and those are going to be resolved in due course,” said the Prime Minister. “So if there is any lingering matter, again the Cabinet Secretary is leading that particular process in terms of spacing, and the other arrangements I think are fully now advanced and by Thursday, June 25, my advice is that everything should be near normal in terms of that particular agenda.”
In the meantime, Prime Minister Harris who is also the Minister of Finance, National Security, Sustainable Development, Constituency Empowerment, and Human Resource Management and Information, reminded that the Team Unity has traditionally met every Monday, first day of the week, from 10:00 am and they would go until about 5:00 pm.
“We would want to continue with that particular tradition,” said the Prime Minister. “On the first day of the working week, Monday, we will meet and we will go from 10:00 am. We normally break around 1:00 pm, give and take, for about an hour lunch and then we resume the Cabinet, then we go until about 5:00 pm.”
He however added: “There are times when the agenda of Cabinet is such that we have to have more than one meeting in a week, and so we move in keeping with the demands and the exigencies of the Cabinet, and that we will try to keep the agenda moving, and to get as much as of the business that is on the agenda determined as quickly as possible.”