COMPTON

CASTRIES, St. Lucia (CMC):

Ailing Prime Minister Sir John Compton has fired his Foreign Affairs Minister Rufus Bousquet and re-shuffled his six-month old Cabinet, according to an official statement issued yesterday.

Governor-General Dame Pear-lette Louisy issued a notice in the Official Gazette noting that that the 82-year-old leader, who is recuperating after suffering a series of mild strokes and a blood clot, would remain as head of the government, but would shed his ministerial responsibilities.

But it noted that former Health Minister Stephenson King, who is also Acting Prime Minister, would assume most of the portfolios previously held by Sir John and the former National Security Minister Dr. Keith Mondesir, who has since been appointed Minister of National Mobilisation and Physical Development.

King would now be responsible for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as serve as Minister of Finance, Home Affairs, National Security, Labour and Information and Broadcasting.

Tessa Mangal has been appointed a junior minister in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. She was previously a junior minister in the Ministry of Women Affairs.

Economic Affairs Minister Ausbert D'Auverenge, who will continue to hold that portfolio, will also have additional responsibility of Economic Planning and National Development to include responsibility for the National Development Corporation and the Public Service.

The new Minister of Health is Edmund Estephane.

Failure to perform

Sir John had asked the Governor-General to temporarily revoke King's appointment as acting Prime Minister for the period June 4 and 5 to advise on the Cabinet changes.

Informed sources told the Caribbean Media Cor-poration (CMC) yesterday that the decision to dismiss Bousquet was made during a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday chaired by King.

King is reported to have held talks with Sir John at his hospital bedside last weekend and the sources said that Bousquet had been dismissed for his failure to perform effectively in government.

But, it is widely speculated here that Bousquet is being disciplined for his part in the controversy that followed the decision to break off diplomatic relations with China in favour of Taiwan.

There have been media reports that the agreement had been signed with Taiwan without the knowledge of Sir John, who had favoured maintain ties with Beijing.

Mondesir is said to have been demoted because of his involvement in a number of high-profile incidents including the decision to send a number of top officials of the St. Lucia Police Force on leave, including the police commissioner.

It is not immediately known what impact the Cabinet changes and dismissals would have on the government since media reports had indicated that Bousquet had the backing of a majority of Cabinet ministers in his stance against China.

This is the second time that Bousquet has been dismissed from a Cabinet headed by Sir John. He was dismissed in the early 1990s when he also served as Foreign Minister.