Saturday, April 1 2006
JAMAICA - KINGSTON: Jamaica’s new Prime Minister said she expects her Cabinet to quickly get down to work during a swearing-in ceremony yesterday for the government ministers.
Portia Simpson Miller, the country’s first woman Prime
Minister, retained most of the Cabinet from the previous administration of PJ
Patterson, although she dropped the chiefs of the development and housing
ministries.
“This must be an action Cabinet for I intend to lead an
action team,” said Simpson Miller, who has added the Women’s Affairs Minister
position to her responsibilities, while keeping her post as Sports Minister.
“I have put on my working shoes so you had better put on your working
shoes.”
Simpson Miller, popularly known as “Sista P,” beat three
opponents to take over leadership of the ruling People’s National Party from
Patterson, who led Jamaica for 14 years.
She was sworn-in on Thursday
night before thousands of people, pledging to root out corruption, protect human
rights, and rid Jamaica of the violent crime plaguing the country.
Patterson’s administration was dogged by scandals and allegations of
corruption while the economy lagged and the crime rate soared — a record 1,671
homicides were committed last year in the nation of 2.6 million.
She
said her ascension to Jamaica’s leadership post was “a true manifestation of the
Jamaican dream.
Rupert Lewis, a political science professor at the
University of the West Indies in Kingston, said Jamaicans expect to see things
change under Simpson Miller.
“Because she’s a woman from the grassroots
the expectation is higher and it’s going to be tough,” Lewis said.
Simpson Miller has pledged to work with the opposition — though leaders
of the opposition Jamaica Labour Party say she so far has offered nothing new
for the country.
“It’s just the same car with a different driver,” said
Karl Samuda, the party’s general secretary.
Simpson Miller’s supporters
say they hope that her becoming the first female Prime Minister will inspire
others in a country where about 12 percent of political posts are held by
women.
“The fact that she is a woman does have a symbolic and motivating
effect for other women to get involved in politics,” said Joan Browne,
spokeswoman of the Jamaica Women’s Political Caucus.
“Already it has
galvanised women who never thought they would enter politics,” Browne said.
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