President Bharrat Jagdeo has expressed condolences to Belizean Prime Minister
Dean Barrow on the passing of the Central American country’s former PM
George Price.
In his message, Jagdeo said “Mr. Price will always be remembered as one of
the principal architects of your country’s independence. As Prime Minister,
he worked tirelessly for the improvement of the quality of life of the
people of Belize and the overall progress of his country”.
Price lent his name to the formula that was used to select the Chairman of the
Elections Commission for the historic 1992 general elections in Guyana.
Price was part of the Carter Center’s Council of Freely Elected Heads and
worked along with former US President Jimmy Carter on brokering a deal for
electoral reforms here. The Carter-Price formula for the Commission was only
to be in place for the 1992 elections but has also been used for subsequent
commissions.
Price was also part of the Carter Center team that monitored the 1992 elections.
The Associated Press reported that Belize’s founding father and first prime minister
died early Monday, just short of three decades since he led Belize to independence.
He was 92.
AP said that Price died at the Belize Healthcare Partners Hospital in Belize City.
He was hospitalized last week Wednesday after a fall at his Belize City home.
PM Barrow declared a week of mourning lasting until Sept. 26.
AP noted that Price was Belize’s first leader when it became independent from
Britain on Sept. 21, 1981. As head of the centrist People’s United Party, he served two
terms as prime minister, in 1981-84 and 1989-1993, and is considered the father of the
Caribbean country of about 300,000 people.
The government and Price’s family planned a state funeral for next Monday, Barrow said.
