Former Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Seymour Arthur passed away today at age 70 according to the Barbadian Government.
The Barbados Government Information Service said that Arthur died at 12:26 a.m. at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. He was the Island’s fifth Prime Minister.
Arthur was hospitalised earlier this month with heart complications and was said to be a patient at the Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit.
He 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 announced that election would be his last after the Barbados Labour Party was defeated.
Since retiring from political office, Arthur was conferred with the title of Professor of Practice: Economics of Development by the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus in November 2018 and in January 2020, was appointed chairman of the Board of LIAT the Caribbean Airline.
He is survived by wife Julie and daughters Sabrina and Leah.
Meanwhile, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) expressed their condolences to the family of Arthur, his friends and the people of Barbados. The party, in a statement, said it is deeply saddened by his passing, noting that “our region has lost an eminent elder Statesman and a champion for equal rights and democracy.”
Arthur recently headed the Commonwealth Observer Mission to Guyana for the March 02 General and Regional Elections. The PPP said Guyanese will forever remember Arthur’s defense of their right to choose their leaders democratically.
The Government of Barbados extended sincerest condolences to his wife, children and extended family and announced that MP for St Peter, Colin Jordan, would be coordinating the funeral arrangements. There will be a period of national mourning for three days. All flags will be flown at half-mast. (Information extracted from Barbados Nation News)
