Barbados has new Attorney-General

ST PHILIP SOUTH MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT ADRIEL BRATHWAITE is Barbados’ new Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs.Leader of Government Business Chris Sinckler made the announcement yesterday in the House of Assembly during debate on the Income Tax (Amendment) (No.2) Bill, 2010.Sinckler stressed that Brathwaite, a former backbencher, was not in an acting position but now held the substantive ministerial position.The change appears linked to the protracted, undisclosed illness of Prime Minister David Thompson who last week revealed that he would be taking two months’ sick leave overseas. This follows an earlier period of convalescence.Brathwaite, who sat on the front bench yesterday for the first time, takes over from previous Attorney General Freundel Stuart, who is now the acting Prime Minister. Last week during a public broadcast, Thompson said he was “devolving” on Stuart the authority to make whatever decisions he deemed necessary “to keep the social and economic ship of state on even keel”.Stuart is presently in Montego Bay, Jamaica, leading Barbados’ delegation at the 31st CARICOM Heads of Government meeting. Sinckler indicated to the DAILY NATION yesterday that Brathwaite had already been sworn in by the Governor-General. Informed sources indicated yesterday that the appointment was until August 30.A specialist in corporate and international law, Brathwaite, 48, defeated former Barbados Labour Party Minister of Education Anthony Wood in the 2008 general election in his first attempt at elective politics.Brathwaite, who has previously acted in his new position, gets the official nod ahead of other legally trained colleagues in the Lower House, including Minister of Family, Youth and Sports Stephen Lashley, Speaker Michael Carrington, Deputy Speaker Kenneth Best and Minister of Housing and Lands Michael Lashley, who has acted as Attorney General on several occasions. (WG)