Mike Peyrefitte is New National Security Minister
Michael Peyrefitte
There’s a new political boss at the Ministry of National Security where Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte has been appointed as its substantive minister. As you know, Peyrefitte is also a senator and has become sort of the government’s spokesperson on a number of issues. The move comes amid a Cabinet reshuffle in the wake of John Saldivar’s resignation last Thursday and his removal as leader elect. Elodio Aragon Junior was immediately tapped by Prime Minister Barrow to head the day-to-day administration of that portfolio, however, Peyrefitte comes in as the overall minister while also retaining his post as government’s chief legal advisor. Earlier today, Peyrefitte and Aragon met with the respective heads of the national security apparatus, including the C.E.O.s for the police, B.D.F. and coast guard.
Elodio Aragon Jr.
Michael Peyrefitte, Minister of National Security
“I am still attorney general and minister for legal affairs. The Prime Minister, with the Honorable John Saldivar no longer being the Minister of National Security, it pleased the Prime Minister to appoint me Minister of National Security as well, with the day-to-day running of the ministry being done by Minister Elodio Aragon Jr. So that will be the hierarchy in which we will be operating. We met today with the different department heads: the Commissioner of Police, Commandant of the Coast Guard and General Ortega from the B.D.F., along with the C.E.O.s and forensics and the Chief of Defense Staff. So what we will be doing after this is setting up another meeting so they can fully brief me and bring me up to speed in addition to what they did today, so that I can be fully cognizant of all the issues within national security, along with Minister Aragon and then from there we will decide on what strategies we will embark on, what strategies we will keep, what strategies we need to improve on and hopefully we can try new things in National Security to make it even better.”
The appointment of Michael Peyrefitte as Minister of National Security was not the only change in cabinet. Minister of State Omar Figueroa moves up as the substantive Minister responsible for the portfolios of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development. These responsibilities were removed from Minister Godwin Hulse. Hulse now continues as the substantive Minister responsible for the portfolios of Agriculture and Immigration. In respect of Immigration, Beverly Williams remains as Minister of State with that responsibility.
