…as President Granger swears in new ministers, reassigns others
PRESIDENT David Granger swore in Dr. Karen Cummings as the new Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position previously held by Carl Greenidge – one of the four dual citizen Government Ministers who recently tendered their resignation in compliance with the Constitution.
The Constitution bars Members of Parliament, and, by extension, Ministers of Government, from being dual citizens. Dr. Cummings, who was the Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, was sworn in, on Thursday, at the Ministry of the Presidency, along aside the new Minister of Business, Haimraj Rajkumar; Minister of State, Dawn Hastings-Williams; and Minister of Public Service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley. In addition to Greenidge, the new ministers are replacing Joseph Harmon, Dominic Gaskin and Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine – all of whom held senior ministerial positions in the Government.
On the side line of the simple ceremony, President Granger told reporters that the country cannot be without a Foreign Minister, explaining that once the position became vacant, it was important for him to fill the void. Dr. Cummings, he said, is best suited. “I felt that, in my considered judgment that she was the fittest person to hold that portfolio, that was the deciding factor,” he told reporters.
Minister Cummings said that, having served successfully within the Ministry of Health, she is ready to take on a new challenge. “The mantra of the Foreign Affairs is to ensure that I protect the patrimony of the country, ensure that I secure the vital interest of the country and to continue to have international cooperation agreements with other countries,” the Foreign Affairs Minister said noting that though new to Foreign Affairs, she looks forward to learning about the sector, and is ready to serve with distinction.
Moments after swearing in the ministers and re-assigning Minister Simona Broomes and Minister Annette Ferguson as Ministers within the Ministries of Presidency and Communities, respectively, President Granger urged them to uphold the offices to which they now occupy, noting that the “Oath of Office” is not a ceremonial ritual.
“It represents a solemn promise and creates three principal obligations – first, to bear true faith and allegiance to the people; second, to execute the duties of his or her office without fear or favour, affection or ill-will and, third, in so doing, to honour, uphold and preserve the Constitution,” President Granger said.

He noted that Constitution instructs that sovereignty resides in the people as such Ministers of Government must remain true to their citizens. “The minister, first, by swearing ‘…true faith and allegiance to the people’, acknowledges the source of sovereignty – the people – and pledges loyalty to them in the exercise of that sovereignty. “The minister, second, by swearing to execute his office ‘…without fear or favour, affection or ill-will’ commits to ensuring that his conduct will be free of the vices of malice and partiality and will be motivated by the pursuit of the common good.
“The minister, third, by swearing ‘…to honour, uphold and preserve the Constitution’ binds himself to respect and comply with the Constitution,” the Head of State pointed out. He said the three obligations are sacred even as he laid out his expectation that Ministers will fulfill their obligations at all times.
Noting that he has a duty to ensure that the Government acts in accordance with the Constitution, President Granger said the resignation of the four Ministers from the Parliament of Guyana and their portfolios in the Cabinet with effect from 25th April, necessitated a rebalancing of the Executive, as such new Ministers were appointed and others reassigned.
“The Constitution [at Article 106.1] establishes a Cabinet consisting of the President, Prime Minister, Vice-presidents and such other ministers” as I may appoint. I was pleased therefore, to issue instruments of Ministerial appointments to the Cabinet in this regard, to the Honourable Dr. Karen Cummings, as Minister of Foreign Affairs; the Honourable Mr. Haimraj Rajkumar, as Minister of Business; the Honourable Mrs. Dawn Hastings-Williams as Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency; and the Honourable Mrs. Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, as Minister of the Public Service in the Ministry of the Presidency; so they will be joining us in Cabinet,” he said.
It was noted that the Non-cabinet Ministers, Simona Charles-Broomes, Annette Ferguson and Valerie Adams-Yearwood will take up new roles in other ministries. Broomes has been reassigned to the Ministry of the Presidency with responsibility for Youth Affairs and not as part of the Department of Social Cohesion, Youth and Sport.
Ferguson has been transferred to the Ministry of Communities from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and will have responsibility for Housing Development. She is replacing Adams-Yearwood.
Adams-Yearwood, who was not present at the simple ceremony to receive her appointment letter, was transferred from the Ministry of Communities to the Ministry of Agriculture, to assume responsibility for Rural Affairs. “I congratulate the new members of Cabinet and Government and the newly reassigned Ministers, and I urge them all to obey, faithfully, their ‘Oath of Office.’ The Guyanese nation can be assured and can continue to look forward to the smooth functioning of their Government as a result of these changes,” President Granger said.
The new Ministers were appointed in accordance with the Constitution of the Guyana t Article 103.2, which empowers the President to appoint ministers “…from among persons who are elected members of the National Assembly…or are qualified to be elected as such members.”
The Constitution, Article 114, mandates, also, that every Minister shall subscribe to an oath of office“…before entering upon the duties of his or her office, make and subscribe the oath of office.” Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Basil Williams; Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan; Minister of Agriculture, Noel Holder; Minister of Social Cohesion, Culture, Youth and Sport, Dr. George Norton, Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan and Director General of the Ministry of the Presidency, Joseph Harmon were among the officials present along with the relatives of the new appointees.