– hail former Barbados PM as passionate leader, strong politician

LEADERS within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) outpoured their support to the family and friends of former Prime Minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, upon his passing on Monday. They hailed him as a great leader and politician.

In a statement on Monday, CARICOM said that Secretary-General, Ambassador Irwin LaRocque and the entire Caribbean Community mourn the passing of the former Prime Minister who was an ardent regionalist. Chairman of CARICOM and Prime Minister of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, in a statement, saluted Arthur as “a titan of regional integration”, an intellectual, and a man devoted to his country and region.

He reminisced on his last engagement with the Arthur during a Zoom meeting on LIAT. “Our Caribbean, our hemisphere and our world have lost a statesman and intellect of the highest quality. We shall miss him. I shall miss my dear friend, Owen, a progressive soul who applied his heart to wisdom. I am personally enveloped in profound sadness, grief and pain at his death, yet full of fond and uplifting memories of him,” Gonsalves said.

In Arthur’s home country, remarks came from Prime Minister of Barbados and former CARICOM Chair, Mia Mottley who announced that she was deeply saddened at his passing, having only visited him on the day before he died. “Barbados lost today our 5th Prime Minister, Owen Seymour Arthur. Even as I visited Mr. Arthur yesterday, I’m still taken by the quickness of his passing. Indeed, this is one of the few occasions in public life that I struggle for words,” Mottley said.

A MAN OF ACTION
Nonetheless, she described Arthur as a patriot, a strong politician, a teacher, a husband and father who lived by the motto, “Face it and fix it”. Mottley noted Arthur’s efforts to reduce unemployment in Barbados, to forge greater regional integration, to defend his country at the international level, and to work assiduously for the benefit of his people and the Region.

“He discharged his duty as Prime Minister of Barbados, and as a Caribbean leader with distinction. He shall remain in that pantheon of Caribbean leaders. On behalf of the government and the people of Barbados, we say thank you to Owen Seymour Arthur and to his family, for his service to a grateful nation and to a proud people,” she said. Prime Minister of St. Lucia, Allen Chastanet, on behalf of his government and people, extend deepest condolences to Barbados. He said that the hearts of his country go out to Arthur’s wife and daughters, all his family and friends, and to the government and people of Barbados.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister of Jamaica Andrew Holness stated: “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. Owen 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.”

Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis, Dr. Timothy Harris paid tribute to Arthur in a statement on Monday, where he said that Arthur’s sharp intellect and deep-rooted commitment to regional integration will be long remembered and missed.

“As Prime Minister of Barbados, the Honourable Owen Arthur had the lead responsibility for the Caribbean Single Market and Economy, and he continued to be a tireless advocate and champion for progress and economic integration in the Caribbean, right up to the end of his remarkable life,” the Prime Minister of St. Kitts and Nevis said.

‘SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER’

Added to these, respected Caribbean statesman, Sir Shridath Ramphal also paid tribute to the former Prime Minister. He said on Monday that Barbados has lost a great son, and CARICOM a great West Indian. Sir Shridath said: “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, 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.”
Caribbean diplomat, Sir Ron Sanders extended his condolences, noting that he had the privilege to have spoken with Arthur in the last days before he died. “Owen Arthur and I had been talking almost every day over the last few weeks, until he was admitted to hospital. He was deeply troubled by events in Guyana, and about matters concerning LIAT. Most of all, he was worried by dangers of fragmentation in the Caribbean Community in whose cause he worked to the very end. He richly deserves to be remembered as an outstanding Caribbean Champion,” Sanders said.

Throughout the day, several other leaders within the Caribbean also expressed their heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of Arthur.
The former Prime Minister of Barbados passed away at 12:26hrs on Monday after suffering a heart attack about two weeks prior.

A LIFE WELL LIVED

During the course of his life, Arthur obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Economics and History (1971) at the Cave Hill campus of the University of the West Indies (UWI) in his native Barbados, and a Master’s Degree in Economics (1974) at UWI’s Mona campus in Jamaica.

In 1983, he was appointed to the Barbadian Senate. The next year, he became an elected representative in the House of Assembly, where he served the constituency of St. Peter as a member of the governing Barbados Labour Party (BLP).

He was the longest-serving Prime Minister of Barbados, having held office through three consecutive terms, spanning from 1994 to 2008. In late 2018, he was appointed Professor of Practice at the University of the West Indies, with responsibility for overseeing Economics of Development at the UWI Cave Hill Campus. In January 2020, he was announced as the new Chairman of LIAT’s Board of Directors. The Barbados Government Information Service announced on Monday that commencing July 27, there would be a period of national mourning for three days, throughout which all flags will be flown at half-mast. The Government of Barbados extends sincerest condolences to his wife, Julie; his daughters, Leah and Sabrina; and his extended family.