Gaston Browne Announces New Cabinet for Antigua and Barbuda

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne has named his new cabinet after winning a second term on Wednesday, including his wife Maria Browne who is now minister of state in legal affairs, immigration and labour.

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Browne stood next to his wife as she was sworn in; the first lady is now also in charge of housing lands and urban renewal within the Ministry of Economic Development, Housing, Urban Renewal, Transport and Civil Aviation.

The remaining cabinet members are Sir Robin Yearwood, minister of Public Utilities, Civil Aviation and Energy; and Molwyn Joseph, minister for Health, Wellness and the Environment.

EP Chet Greene is acting minister of foreign affairs, international trade and immigration; Samantha Marshall leads the Social Transformation, Human Resource, Youth, and Gender Affairs Department.

Charles Max Fernandez is the new minister of tourism and economic development, while Melford Nicholas is minister of information, broadcasting, telecommunications and information technology.

New to Browne's cabinet is Dean Jonas, who will head the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Barbuda Affairs.

Lennox Weston is minister of works and minister of state for finance and corporate governance, while Daryl Matthew is in charge of sports, culture, national festivals and the arts.

Asot Michael wept as he was sworn in to lead the Department of Investment and Trade: he was fired last October by Browne from his post as minister of tourism after being arrested by authorities in the United Kingdom on suspicion of taking bribes.

Browne's Antigua Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) took 15 of the 17 available parliamentary seats in Wednesday's snap elections, putting him back in power for the next five years.

Local media says that voter turn-out among the 51,258 eligible voters was lower than in previous election cycles.

Browne has promised to implement "egalitarian policies" and invest half a billion dollars in economic development projects on the two-island nation.