TIME FOR A CABINET RESHUFFLE

Dec 10, 2012 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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They say that you should not hit a man when he is down. But sometimes when a man is down, it is the best time to consider his future.
Mr. Roger Forbes Luncheon is at present recovering from a fall. This is not the first time in recent years that he has taken ill and therefore questions are bound to be asked about how long he can continue with the heavy workload that he is carrying.
It is time for consideration to be given to identifying his successor. In Venezuela, Hugo Chavez has taken the bold decision to announce a successor after a reoccurrence of his cancer condition.
In the case of Dr. Roger Luncheon, he will most definitely make a full recovery but his recent illness has raised concerns about whether he should continue with his present workload.
The man is obviously overworked. He is the Head of the Presidential Secretary, Cabinet Secretary and the Press Secretary. He is also the Head of the Defense Board and the Chairman of the National Insurance Scheme. This is all too much for one man.
It also does not make for effective governance when all of these important offices are being held by one man. If for each one of those positions, there was an effective point-person with Mr. Luncheon effecting overall responsibility; that would have been different. But Mr. Luncheon is clearly the point person for each of these positions.
Given his recent illness, the President has to consider forking out some of those responsibilities to other parties. There should be someone else assuming the position of Cabinet Secretary. The ideal choice could perhaps be Gail Texeira.
There should be someone else as Press Secretary. Since there is already a Press Coordinator, that person, Kellawan Lall, can assume that role. It will be a controversial choice but since the man is already working in the sector, why not simply make him Press Secretary and ease the workload on Mr. Luncheon?
As for the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, this position is akin to the Chief of Staff of the President and therefore there would be the need to have a trusted person in this position. Prime Minister Sam Hinds who is not likely to be on the PPPC’s slate for the next elections can be chosen to undertake this task. He can hold forth while someone else is trained.
A head should also be found for the National Insurance Scheme and one name that springs to mind is Mr. Manzoor Nadir.
This would leave Mr. Luncheon to concentrate on his position as Head of the Defense Board, a quite substantive responsibility.
It would be unfair of the President to labour Mr. Luncheon, given his illness, with all the responsibilities that he formerly undertook. Sometimes, it is hard for persons to accept that they need to give up certain positions. And it is even harder for a President to have to remove responsibilities from a trusted comrade.
Given the years of their association and friendship, it is sometimes difficult to let go of someone who has been faithful and dedicated. And making that decision is not easy. And this will be one of the difficult decisions that the President will have to consider, and it will be hard for him to do so because of personal loyalties and friendship.
It is the same thing with other party officials who are serving in the government. Some of them are frail and feeble and need to avoid placing the President in a position where he is forced to ask them to step aside.
Of their own volition, they should recognize that they are becoming of limited value to the government and they should ask to be recused.
Those persons know who they are and they should do the right thing because it will ensure that new blood comes into the government, something that is needed if the PPP is to plan for the future.
This perhaps is therefore an opportune time for the President to consider a Cabinet reshuffle. Elections will certainly be held within the next two years. We are dealing with a highly tempestuous opposition and therefore early elections are inevitable.
However, a number of persons are not going to be on the PPPC’s slate for the next elections and even if they do, they are not likely to become ministers. It is time for these persons to be let go so that new blood can be injected.
The PPPC needs new blood. It now has the opportunity to identify new blood and provide those persons with the opportunity to gain valuable experience in the work of government so that when the time comes for them to assume high office, they will be prepared.
The President therefore should actively consider reducing some of the responsibilities of some of his top officials. Also, those who have lost their physical or intellectual agility should give way and allow new blood to be introduced.

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