All 15 Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party candidates who won seats in last Thursday's general election were sworn in as ministers or junior ministers on Tuesday. However, according to Antigua.news, Prime Minister Gaston Browne has already signalled that a Cabinet reshuffle is being planned for next year.
Speaking to Antigua.news 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 reshuffle could take place as early as January 2027.
The Prime Minister said the decision to retain ministers in their existing portfolios was largely deliberate. Several, he explained, 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 cited Education Minister Daryll Matthew, who remains deeply involved in the continued expansion and development of the UWI Five Islands Campus.
The Prime Minister stressed that continuity was equally important across critical infrastructure portfolios. 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 retained to continue overseeing the government's expansive road rehabilitation and infrastructure programme currently underway across the country.
Tuesday's swearing-in ceremony officially launched Browne's fourth consecutive term in office, following the ABLP's commanding victory in the April 30 general election, in which the party captured 15 of the country's 17 parliamentary seats. Attorney General Steadroy Benjamin and Prime Minister Browne had already been sworn in on Friday.
The new Cabinet includes both returning ministers and newly elected MPs who were immediately assigned ministerial or junior minister portfolios.
While the Cabinet remains largely familiar for now, Browne's comments suggest the administration could undergo significant restructuring within months as the government moves deeper into its new term.
