Portia stands by Omar
Published:Tuesday | May 10, 2011 | 12:00 AM
Erica Virtue, Senior Gleaner Writer
Dr Omar Davies is to be retained in the shadow Cabinet of the parliamentary Opposition, but Portia Simpson Miller, the leader of the Opposition, has given no indication whether he would keep the finance portfolio.
Speaking at a press conference at the party's Old Hope Road headquarters yesterday, on the eve of Prime Minister Bruce Golding's presentation in the 2011-12 Budget Debate, Simpson Miller said the announcement of a shake-up of the shadow Cabinet would be made shortly.
"Dr Davies is a valued member of the team. He has no ... . Suppose I want to give some surprises. I can't give you that from now. But I just want to tell you that there are going to be ... ." Simpson Miller said.
shadow spokespersons
Davies served as finance minister for 14 years between 1993 and 2007. Yesterday's announcement of the impending shake-up in the 19-member spokesperson council of the Opposition is the second time in eight months Simpson Miller has promised to telegraph to the nation her ministers-in-waiting.
"You will be invited very soon to a press conference, you and other members of the media," Simpson Miller said, responding to a series of questions on the issue.
She also said a team of young people would be named to shadow some current spokespersons.
"I will be looking at a cadre of young people that will be supporting the spokespersons, and will be able to get some experience, as well, of how the spokespersons operate in their role and functions. I am looking at that as well," she said.
Last September, Simpson Miller, speaking ahead of the public session of the 72nd annual conference of the People's National Party (PNP), indicated she would be reshuffling her shadow Cabinet.
"I am looking at the spokespersons and looking at a review, and that will be announced sometime after conference because I have to look at it in terms of ministry subjects in keeping with the Progressive Agenda," she said then.
Asked yesterday about the place of 70-year-old Roger Clarke, the opposition spokesman on agriculture, in the set-up of a future PNP administration, Simpson Miller responded: "Why just Roger? All of us, including the young ones, we have people understudying us."
Asked who was understudying her, she said: "A number of persons. A number of young professionals drawn from both the Patriots and the PNPYO. And there are other people who are understudying, like Natalie Neita-Headley, Lisa Hanna, and Julian Robinson, someone with great potential.