Swearing in ceremony for new ministers postponed

The swearing in ceremony for three new ministers in the Trinidad and Tobago government was postponed on Saturday with no reasons being advanced for the change.



A brief statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that the ceremony will now take place on Monday at 10.30 a.m



“We regret the inconvenience,” the statement ended without giving any reasons for the change, nor did it indicate who were the three new ministers to join the cabinet of Prime Minister Kamla Persad Bissessar.



The Trinidad Express newspaper quoting sources said that Health Minister Therese Baptiste will be axed from the Cabinet, while the embattled Works and Transport Minister Austin jack Warner is expected to be relieved of the Transport portfolio.



The paper said that Foreign Affairs Minister Suruj Rambachan will get additional responsibilities with the creation of the Ministry of Information.



The five-party coalition government was swept into office on May 24 last year after it won 29 of the 41 seats in the general elections.



There have been widespread calls for the Prime Minister to dismiss Warner, following the bribery scandal that engulfed the International Football Federation (FIFA).



Warner resigned his position as vice president of the world football governing body as a result of the scandal that followed allegations that he and former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam had offered US$40 000 to national associations of the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) at a meeting in Trinidad on May 10 and 11, in return for their votes in the FIFA presidential election on June 1.



Prime Minister Persad Bissessar has said she would stand by her embattled senior minister, who is also the chairman of the United National Congress (UNC), the leading member of the People's Partnership coalition.