Po­lit­i­cal sci­en­tist Dr In­di­ra Ram­per­sad be­lieves the ap­point­ment of Colm Im­bert as Min­is­ter of Pub­lic Util­i­ties is a de­mo­tion for the se­nior Cab­i­net min­is­ter, while an­a­lyst Dr Shane Mo­hammed be­lieves he was placed there to help im­ple­ment in­creas­es in pub­lic util­i­ty rates.

The two spoke with Guardian Me­dia af­ter Prime Min­is­ter Stu­art Young’s Cab­i­net was sworn in yes­ter­day, with Im­bert be­ing re­moved as Fi­nance Min­is­ter and Vish­nu Dhan­paul, who served as High Com­mis­sion­er to the Unit­ed King­dom, re­plac­ing Im­bert.

“I think that is a clear de­mo­tion. I don’t think he (Im­bert) was well-liked in the Cab­i­net or by the pop­u­la­tion, giv­en his strin­gent fi­nan­cial poli­cies. But more than that, the at­ti­tude, the ar­ro­gance that he ex­hib­it­ed did not go down well with the pop­u­la­tion,” Ram­per­sad said.