PM Browne Signals Cabinet Reshuffle Next Year

All 15 Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party candidates who successfully contested last Thursday’s general election were sworn in as ministers or junior ministers on Tuesday, but Prime Minister Gaston Browne says changes to the Cabinet are already being planned for next year.

Speaking in an interview with Antigua.news Shermain Bique-Charles, following the official swearing-in ceremony at the American University of Antigua, Browne revealed that while every elected ABLP parliamentarian was immediately assigned a ministerial role, a Cabinet reshuffle could take place as early as January 2027.

The Prime Minister explained that the decision to retain ministers in their existing portfolios was largely deliberate, as several are already deeply involved in major national projects and long-term initiatives that the government wants completed without interruption.

“We reappointed the ministers to continue some of the work they already started,” Browne told Antigua.news.

He pointed to Foreign Affairs Minister E.P. Chet Greene, who remains heavily engaged in preparations for CHOGM 2026, which Antigua and Barbuda is scheduled to host in November next year.

Browne also pointed to Education Minister Daryll Matthew, saying he remains deeply involved in the continued expansion and development of the UWI Five Islands Campus.

The Prime Minister said continuity was also important in critical infrastructure ministries.

He noted that ICT, Utilities and Energy Minister Melford Nicholas has been leading efforts to address ongoing public utility challenges, particularly persistent water supply problems affecting residents and businesses nationwide.

Meanwhile, Housing and Works Minister Maria Browne was kept in place to continue overseeing the government’s expansive road rehabilitation and infrastructure programme now underway nationwide.

Tuesday’s swearing-in ceremony officially launched Browne’s fourth consecutive term in office after the ABLP secured a commanding victory in the April 30 general election, winning 15 of the country’s 17 parliamentary seats.

Among those sworn in were returning ministers as well as newly elected MPs who were immediately assigned ministerial or junior minister portfolios.

The new Cabinet includes:

Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin and Prime Minister Browne had already been sworn in on Friday.

While the Cabinet remains largely familiar for now, Browne’s comments suggest the administration could see significant restructuring within months as the government moves deeper into its new term.