Pickersgill to act as PM

Pickersgill

THE HON. Robert Pickersgill formally changed his Cabinet portfolio yesterday from Mining and Energy to Transport and Works, and The Gleaner understands that today, a rather prestigious feather is to be put in his cap.

He is to be appointed to act as Prime Minister from today to Sunday, Nov. 4, during the absence of Prime Minister Patterson, who The Gleaner understands is to visit the Bahamas. Mr. Patterson was scheduled to have left Jamaica yesterday, but The Gleaner was unable to find out the cause of the delay.

For Mr. Pickersgill to be put in charge of the Government, even for two days, is seen by political observers as a signal honour for the affable and elegant 58-year-old teacher-lawyer-politician and chairman of the ruling People's National Party, who has been a cabinet minister since March 1989.

It will be a high point of his political career which has seen him setting out in representational politics as a parish councillor, being elected to Parliament, and serving as Minister of Public Utilities and Transport and of Public Utilities and Energy at different periods.

One of the most bashed and pilloried ministers, especially during his tenure at Public Utilities and Transport when there were problems with unscheduled power cuts and frustrating public transportation problems, Mr. Pickersgill always seemed to deflect the criticisms with his sincere if unconvincing explanations, laced with humour, even to the point of laughing at a nickname his critics sought to pin on him.

In the past Deputy Prime Minister Seymour Mullings or Mrs Portia Simpson Miller, as Minister of Labour or Minister of Tourism had acted as Prime Minister in Mr. Patterson's absence. But with the re-assignment of Mr. Mullings as Jamaica's Ambassador to Washington DC, Mr. Patterson has not named a Deputy Prime Minister to replace him.

Back to Lead Stories