MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Uruguay’s president-elect expected to announce ministerial cabinet this week

Mujica has promised hard work and efficiency

Uruguay’s president elect Jose Mujica is expected to announce this week the ministerial cabinet that will be working with him when he takes office next March first, according to sources from his headquarters.

The cabinet will only have representatives from the catch-all coalition (19 groups) that supports the current government and Mujica’s coming administration. And according to the same sources will be directly related to the vote strength shown in October’s election. (The November run off was only for the Executive).

Some of the cabinet members which have been anticipated include some of Mujica’s closest aides such as Eduardo Bonomi (former Labour minister and coordinator of the successful presidential electoral campaign) as Minister of Interior.

Defence will be in the hands of another member of Mujica’s inner circle, Luis Rosadilla who spent several years in jail, together with Mujica and Bonomi when active members of the Tupamaros urban guerrilla movement of the sixties.

The current mayor of Montevideo, Ricardo Erlich will have to handle Education and Culture which promises to be a tough job given the structural reforms anticipated by the president elect and rejected by the teachers and staff unions.

In Agriculture Mujica named an independent agronomist, sugar cane and rice farmer, considered an “agriculture innovator” and expert in water harvesting, Luis Aguerre.

The current (career) ambassador in China, Luis Almagro will run Foreign Affairs and Eduardo Brenta, Labour and Social Security.

The Ministry of Social Development will remain under control of the Communist party with Ana Olivera, currently Deputy Minister.

The Socialist party from President Tabare Vazquez has been given Public Health (Daniel Olesker) and Industry and Trade (Roberto Kreimerman) while one of the president’s closest and most trusted aides Hector Lescano will remain in Tourism.

The influential Ministries of Public Works and Economy will be under control of Vice-president Danilo Astori, with Deputy-elect Enrique Pintado and economist Fernando Lorenzo respectively. Lorenzo was head of Macroeconomics during the current mandate of President Vazquez when Astori was Economy minister.

However changes are already anticipated since the president-elect is planning a ministerial cabinet reform which contemplates the creation of a Presidency Ministry or chief minister. The job will go to Bonomi, Minister of Interior-nominate and whom in his guerrilla days was known as “Mute Eddy”.

Following this week’s announcement the team will have a two week vacation before returning to coordinate for March first inauguration.

The opposition will be forming part of the government’s companies, banks boards, and the special control offices plus the Electoral Court, as indicated by the Uruguayan constitution. However these nominations will have to wait for the new parliament (which convenes February 15) since special majorities are needed.