Cabinet shake-up in Suriname

CMC – Three cabinet ministers were sacked and four others were shifted, as the Desi Bouterse-led coalition government reshuffled the cabinet for the second time since coming to office nearly two years ago.



Health Minister Celsius Waterberg, Minister for Zonal Planning Simon Martosatiman and Sports Minister Paul Abena were fired, while the ministers of education, trade and labour were transferred.



So far, two replacements have been named: Shirley Sitaldien is the new education minister and Michael Blokland is now in charge of health.



According to the DevSur English-language news website, the new cabinet would be presented on May 5 but no replacement was named to take the sports portfolio.



It is reported that Raymond Sapoen is to move from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Trade and Industry. Trade Minister Michael Miskin has taken the labour, technological development and environment portfolios whie Minister Ginmadro Kromosoeto is to shift from the Ministry of Labour to the Ministry of Zonal Planning, Land and Forest Management.



DevSur said coalition partners had earlier complained that as minister for zonal planning, Martosatiman “had no grasp” of land issues.



The website said Waterberg made several blunders in the press and made “unpopular moves” including the importation of Cuban doctors to Suriname and his insistence that there was no dengue epidemic last January while the disease was claiming victims.



The Bouterse cabinet was reshuffled last June, exactly a year after his Mega Combination coalition won the government. Then, Finance Minister Adeline Wijnerman replaced Wonnie Boedhoe.