Cabinet reshuffles tend to generate public excitement when they herald a major shake-up due to a ministerial scandal or failure, a crisis in government, or the emergence of a new leader who intends to create a government of his own choosing. No such scenario existed in Barbados.
As such, the Cabinet “adjustment” announced by Prime Minister Stuart on the night of Wednesday, June 8, would have been run-of-the mill, had it not been for the Prime Minister’s own deliberateness that created much ado about the expected.
On close examination, the real and true purpose of the Cabinet reshuffle was to accommodate Denis Kellman and Denis Lowe as Cabinet members. There were no new additions of personnel, and the main adjustments merely involved chopping existing ministries and parcelling out and sharing the responsibilities among the members.
In this way, Kellman received his Rural Development pick, while Lowe retained his Drainage role.
Thus, despite the Prime Minister’s stated declaration that the Cabinet reshuffle was intended to deepen the capacity of his administration to meet the continuing global economic challenges, this was not discernible in the changes themselves.
A response to the global economy would have seen a far-reaching and fundamental reorganisation of the key economic development ministries, either by way of streamlining of functions, the introduction of new heavyweight personnel with incontestable global influence, or the creation of new roles and institutional mechanisms deliberately designed to position Barbados to not only survive, but grow within the context of the existing global environment.
Given the fact that no such global repositioning was seen in the changes, Stuart’s long explanation for what was in fact the inclusion of his loyal supporter Denis Kellman into the Cabinet had the quality of the “lady doth protest too much”. A response to the global economic reality, and more particularly the economic challenges facing Barbados, would have seen the placing of a wider range of responsibility in fewer hands, rather than the placing of fewer responsibilities in a larger number of hands.
Instead, given the minimalist nature of the changes, what the reshuffle suggested was a “holding pattern”. Indeed, Prime Minister Stuart himself expressed his satisfaction that Barbados had been able to maintain a reasonable level of social services and investment, and had protected jobs. The reshuffle, in short, was in keeping with the Prime Minister’s own style of the taking of small steps and the avoidance of drastic measures aimed at simultaneously avoiding the compromising of Barbados’ fragile economic recovery and his own delicate support base within the Cabinet.
The fact, however, is that for the first time Stuart has chosen his own Cabinet. Given the several changes that have taken place before, demands for a settled Government will grow. As elections approach, the window for experimentation and for “mundane adjustments” will close. Future reshuffles will not be unproblematic.
