Peruvian President Alan Garcia picked Education Minister Jose Chang as his new prime minister on Tuesday in a widely expected cabinet shuffle, but said he did not know if other key posts will change hands. Chang will replace Prime Minister Javier Velasquez, who is stepping down to run for president in April of next year as by law Garcia cannot run for a second straight term, Reuters reported. Chang is a longtime aide to the president and, like Velasquez, is a core member of Garcia's APRA party. Speaking at Peru's foreign ministry, Garcia praised Chang's work to improve public education and said he would ensure continued economic stability and be neutral as elections approach. Asked if Finance Minister Mercedes Araoz would stay on or be replaced, Garcia said: "I don't know, that's up to Chang." Garcia's economic policies have emphasized free trade and foreign investment and Peru has one of the world's fastest-growing economies. Garcia said Chang would announce the rest of the cabinet changes later on Tuesday. The cabinet shake-up has been postponed repeatedly, as members of APRA jockey over who should be on its presidential ticket, with some members lining up behind Velasquez and others encouraging Araoz to participate in the race. On Tuesday, a government source said Velasquez has asked Araoz to be his vice presidential running mate, but it was not clear if she would accept the request. Local newspaper Peru 21 reported on Tuesday that Araoz would likely step down, though she has repeatedly denied similar reports. In August, three sources in APRA or the government told Reuters that Araoz would leave in the cabinet shuffle, prompting Garcia to deny the report.
