Cabinet Reshuffle: Demotions and Promotions

Prime Minister John Briceño has shaken up his Cabinet. The government press release calls it an “adjustment”, but the public will be seeing it as who got demoted and promoted. 

The ‘adjustments’ take effect on Monday, November 17th. 

Here is who got what: 

The ‘gag’ of the day is Kareem Musa. He served as Minister of Home Affairs and New Growth Industries for 5 years. The Prime Minister saw it fit to remove him from that ministry and have him lead Immigration, Governance, and Labour. So is this a demotion or promotion? 

So who gets the Ministry of Home Affairs? That goes to Henry Charles Usher, who previously held the Ministry of Public Service, Governance, and Disaster Risk Management.  Usher will also head the Ministry of Enterprise. So is this a demotion or promotion? 

Which then leads us to Jose Abelardo Mai. He has been stripped of another key responsibility. As we said, he is no longer responsible for Enterprise. That goes to Usher, and as such, so does the responsibility for the free zones and supplies control. Mai remains Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, and has been assigned the Ministry of New Growth Industries, previously held by Kareem Musa. So is this a demotion or promotion? 

After serving less than a year as Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Oscar Requena returns to the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Local Government and  Community Development. So is this a demotion or promotion? Or Meh? 

So who got the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology? That returns to Francis Fonseca, who also has responsibility for Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. He is no longer responsible for immigration. As we said, that goes to Musa. So is this a demotion or promotion?

So what does Florencio Marin Jr get? He is now the Minister of Public Service & Disaster Risk Management. His previous portfolio goes to Requena. So is this a demotion or promotion?

All other ministerial portfolios remain. Reasons for the “adjustment’ were not given.