Owen Arthur
Barbados is observing three days of national mourning for former prime minister Owen Seymour Arthur, 70, who died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital early Monday.
Arthur, an economist, had been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) suffering from heart complications and died at 12.26 am (local time).
In a brief statement, the government said that “there will be a period of national mourning for three days (and) all flags will be flown at half-mast”.
Former Commonwealth secretary general, Sir Shridath Ramphal, said Barbados has lost a great son and the regional integration movement “CARICOM has lost a great West Indian. We are all the poorer for Owen’s going.
“His last leadership role was to chair the Commonwealth’s Observer Mission to the Guyana elections where he distinguished himself for his courage in speaking truth to power. May his memory be honoured in the upholding of his candour,” Sir Shridath said, adding “and may CARICOM for all time be guided by his credo of regional integration that marked his service to Barbados and the Caribbean Community entire”.
Arthur, Barbados’ fifth Prime Minister, was hospitalised in mid-July with heart complications.
The country’s longest serving head of government, led the country for an unprecedented three consecutive terms from 1994 to 2008, having served as Member of Parliament for the constituency of St Peter from 1984 to 2013.
In 2013, Arthur stepped down from active after the Barbados Labour Party (BLP) was defeated by the Democratic Labour Party (DLP).
Following his decision to step away from active politics, Arthur was conferred with the title of Professor of Practice: Economics of Development by the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in November 2018 and in January 2020, was appointed chairman of the Board of the cash-strapped regional airline, LIAT.
Jamaica
Prime Minister Andrew Holness has described Arthur as a person who was passionate about his country as he joined other regional leaders in expressing condolences to Arthur’s family on his death.
“Today I pause to pay my respects to a man who served Barbados and the Caribbean with distinction, former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Seymour Arthur. I am truly saddened by his passing,” Holness said in a message on his Twitter page.
He said Arthur was “passionate about his country and the dream of regional integration.
“In the 1990s and early 2000s, he helped to shape the political scene in the region. I extend sincere condolences to the family of Owen Arthur and the people of Barbados,” Holness wrote.
St. Lucia’s Prime Minister Allen Chastanet also extended “deepest condolences to Barbados.”
“Our heart goes out to his wife and daughters and all his family and friends and to the government and people of Barbados,” he added.
The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretary General, Irwin LaRocque said the entire Caribbean Community mourns the passing of an “ardent regionalist” in Arthur.
Arthur’s last regional public outing was to lead a Commonwealth Observer team to the March 2 regional and general elections in Guyana and in a statement, the main opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) said it was “deeply saddened” by his death.
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