BARBADOS - DOIN' THE CABINET SHUFFLE

C O N F I D E N T I A L BRIDGETOWN 000700

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/24/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL XL
SUBJECT: BARBADOS - DOIN' THE CABINET SHUFFLE

Classified By: DCM Brent D. Hardt, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

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SUMMARY
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1. (SBU) A comprehensive cabinet reshuffle announced November
24 saw only five of Barbados, thirteen cabinet positions
remain unchanged. The move, sold as a positive step to put
the right people in the right places by the Prime Minister,
was predictably criticized by the opposition. Despite the
significant shake-up, no ministers lost their jobs and few
appeared to be negatively effected by the changes. In all,
this was more of a portfolio re-alignment to lessen the
burden of underperformers and put stronger performers in key
ministries. The reshuffle has resulted in a new Foreign
Minister, Senator Maxine McClean, and shifts both the former
Foreign Minister, Chris Sinckler and his Minister of State
Donville Inniss to key domestic portfolios. End summary.

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Musical Chairs for Barbados, Cabinet Ministers
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2. (U) Ten months after sweeping into power, Democratic
Labour Party Prime Minister David Thompson has reshuffled his
cabinet. Despite major changes in portfolios, no ministers
lost their jobs -- though a few saw noticeable reductions in
their authority. The move was roundly and predictably
criticized by opposition leader Mia Mottley as a "purely
political ploy and in no way helping move the country
forward." The PM explained during a press conference that,
after 10 months in power, he was better able to determine the
strengths and weaknesses of his cabinet and sought to reorder
responsibilities so his team could best serve the country.


3. (SBU) The loss of the environment portfolio by Minster
Byer-Suckoo, who retained responsibility of Family Youth And
Sports, makes her appear to be one of the individuals who was
"right sized" in the reshuffle. Some Embassy contacts noted
that Byer-Suckoo had enjoyed a disproportionate amount of
media "face time" compared to other ministers - to include
the PM - and that removing Environment from her portfolio
might remove some of the "burden" of so many public
appearances. Minister of Health Dr. Estwick was probably the
biggest loser in the reshuffle, moving from a Ministry with
the second largest line item in the budget to a
vaguely-defined economic portfolio. Many say Estwick was
underperforming at the Ministry, and never got a hold of the
serious problems facing Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Donville
Inniss, move up, taking on this troubled ministry after
being a minister of state, is clearly a big promotion for
him. Minister Estwick apparently disagreed strongly with the
Prime Minister over whether to build a new hospital or
renovate the existing Queen Elizabeth. Inniss is expected to
tow the PM's line in favor of renovating (which is all that
is affordable at this time).


4. (SBU) Foreign Minister Christopher Sinckler's shift to a
domestic ministry in charge of both urban and rural
development will allow this rising star in the party to
strengthen his constituency base and strengthen the party
where elections are decided here. Moreover, the demands of
foreign travel on a Foreign Minister have often been seen as
a political liability - we had heard complaints in Sinckler's
constituency that the Minister was "never around" to do
politically necessary constituent outreach, as he was often
abroad on state business. By giving the MFA job to an
unelected Senator, PM Thompson has positioned his MP
Ministers -- and particularly Sinckler -- for re-election,
political pundit Peter Wickham noted. Others have noted that
Sinckler is considered one of the more capable ministers, so
his move to rural development might also be seen as a
recognition of the government's need to address rural issues.
(Note: Bio for new FONMIN Maxine McClean at end of cable.
End note.)


5. (SBU) One prominent business figure and former BLP
minister conceded that Sinckler's reassignment would shore up
the government's political standing in the rural and urban
constituencies, but predictably had little else positive to
say about either the changes or the government's performance
to date. Estwick's assignment to an economic development
portfolio was characterized as the "kiss of death" for
economic development in the country, the Attorney General was
lambasted for "doing nothing" to move forward critical
legislation, and new FONMIN Maxine McClean was described as
having the full confidence of the PM, but also as
unqualified, opinionated, and unapproachable.

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Ministers and Ministries Scorecard
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6. (U) Cabinet Changes:

-- Attorney General and Minister of Home Affairs Freundel
Stuart will retain his portfolio as attorney general, while
being promoted to Deputy Prime Minister.

-- Minister Michael Lashley will retain responsibility for
the Ministry of Housing and Lands.

-- Minister Haynesley Benn will retain responsibility for the
Ministry Agriculture, while losing responsibility for rural
development.

-- Minister David Estwick will take over responsibility for
the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Empowerment, Innovation,
Trade, Industry and Commerce. This "new" ministry takes on
economic affairs from the PM's portfolio; and trade, industry
and commerce from Minister George Hutson's previous portfolio.

-- Minister Ronald Jones will retain responsibility for the
Ministry of Education and Human Resources.

-- Minister Richard Sealy will retain responsibility for the
Ministry of Tourism.

-- Minister George Hutson will assume responsibility for the
Ministry of International Business and International
Transportation. This "new" ministry brings together parts of
portfolios handled previously by FONMIN Sinckler and
Transportation Minister John Boyce. It splits civil aviation
and some ports authority out of Boyce's previous portfolio.

-- Minister Maxine McClean will assume responsibility for the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade.

-- Minister Steven Blackett will retain responsibility for
the Ministry of Community Development and Culture.

-- Minister John Boyce will retain responsibility for the
Ministry of Transportation, but lose International
Transportation.

-- Minister Dr. Ester Byer-Suckoo will retain responsibility
for the Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports, but lose
Environment.

-- Minister Dr. Denis Lowe will assume responsibility for the
Ministry of Environment, Water Resources and Drainage. The
newly reconstituted ministry was created by pulling in the
environmental portfolio from the Ministry of Family, Sports
and Youth Affairs and the water portfolio from the Ministry
of Health. The Island has recently faced major disruptions
due to flooding during this year's hurricane season, which
saw schools closed on three separate occasions. The choice
to move the water resources portfolio under a minister of
environment and adding water drainage as a cabinet-level
responsibility shows the government's sensitivity to
constituent complaints over the past few months, as well as a
recognition that something has to be done to improve water
drainage systems.

-- Minister Donville Inniss will assume responsibility for
the Ministry of Health. Inniss, previously Minister of State
in the Foreign Minister, is also a competent, no-nonsense
leader whose appointment should be seen as a promotion. By
giving him the daunting task of fixing the badly broken Queen
Elizabeth Hospital, PM Thompson seems to be placing strong
confidence in Inniss' ability to deliver on a high-visibility
problem.

-- Minister Christopher Sinckler will assume responsibility
for the Ministry of Social Care, Constituency Empowerment and
Rural and Urban Development.


7. (C) Note: Political observers noted that the promotion of
Stuart to the post of Deputy PM signals a consolidation of
Thompson's power and his increased confidence in his one-time
rival. Pundits posit that this demonstrates that Thompson
now feels he is firmly in control of the party and is no
longer threatened by Stuart. End note.

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Biographic Information, Maxine McClean
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8. (SBU) Senator Maxine McClean, Minister of Foreign Affairs
and Foreign Trade, is a leader of government business in the
Senate and the former Minister of State in the Prime
Minister's Office with responsibility for immigration
matters. She is a management consultant who heads the firm
Strategic Interventions, Inc. She is a graduate and former
lecturer in the Department of Management Studies, UWI Cave
Hill, where she taught for 17 years. In 1979, Senator
McClean was awarded an OAS scholarship to pursue graduate
studies at Ohio University where she gained a MBA in 1981 and
a MA in International Affairs in 1982. She also received a
Fulbright Fellowship to Louisiana State University in 1986,
where she completed two years of a Doctoral program. McClean
is competent and approachable. It is too early to tell,
though, whether she will let the civil service in MFA lead on
foreign policy, or attempt to take a more activist role.
Sinckler had begun to question some of the bureaucracy's
positions, notably on U.N. voting patterns, just prior to his
re-assignment, and we will encourage McClean to continue
along these lines.
HARDT