PM Dr Drew to swear-in Government Ministers Saturday

NEWLY-ELECTED PRIME MINISTER DR TERRANCE DREW WILL SWEAR IN his Cabinet on Saturday according to well-placed sources in the twin-island of St Kitts and Nevis

PM Drew has so far, only publicly named his education minister, who will be Dr. Geoffrey Hanley. He did so during the campaign trail and reiterated his decision this week during a radio interview.

Hanley was treated badly by the Team Unity government of former PM Dr Timothy Harris.

Dr Drew has kept his other appointments so far, secret.

However, knowledgeable sources on the Leeward Islands Federation are speculating that former PM, Dr. Denzil Douglas, who unsurprisingly retained Constituency Six seat in a landslide, will be assigned Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Infrastructural Development portfolio.

Ms. Marsha Henderson is tipped to be Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister.

There is also speculation on who will be given the Agriculture and Youth Ministries. So far, the names of Mr. Samal Duggins and Dr Joyelle Clarke have been held up by the speculators on the island. They are also debating among themselves whether Dr Clarke will be reappointed a senator if not given a ministerial appointment by the newly-elected St Kitts and Nevis Labour Party (SKNLP) government.

The country still awaits the names of the three senators to be identified by PM Drew.

Political speculators in SKN also conjecture that Mr. Konris Maynard may be named National Security, Culture and Entertainment Minister.

According to them, PM Dr Drew will carry the Finance, Health and Housing ministries.

The SKNLP returned to power after a seven-year hiatus following the Team Unity three-party coalition poll victories in 2015 and 2020 under Accountant, Dr Harris.

Dr Douglas who was PM of St Kitts and Nevis for 20 consecutive years, fired Harris from his ministerial posts in 2013.

Harris afterwards formed the People’s Labour Party (PLP) and teamed up with the People’s Action Movement (PAM), the Concerned Citizens Movement (CCM) to form the then ruling coalition, Team Unity.

But greed, graft and grift allegations triggered the collapse of the Harris Team Unity administration after six of his eight ministers, mutinied demanding his immediate resignation or face a no confidence motion (NCM).

Desperate, Harris fired the six rebels and attempted reshuffling his cabinet to stave off the inevitable.

The NCM prevailed, and the reluctant PM was forced to call early polls, originally scheduled for 2025.

SKNLP reversed the seat allocations following the 2020 elections. The CCM won the three seats in Nevis under Mr. Mark Brantley, Premier.

Tomorrow’s swearing-in ceremony paves the way for the SKNLP and CCM leaders to meet officially and begin talks to help iron out some stubborn sticking spots between the two islands.

Dr. Drew’s cabinet will comprise the six elected constituency members and three appointed members. The nine will form part of the SKN Parliament.

PM, Dr Drew, is also expected tomorrow to name a new Cabinet Secretary.

www.aroundtherreegions.com will provide exclusive coverage of the swearing in and will also conduct interviews with the newly-appointed minsters and other senior government functionaries.