Former Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Seymour Arthur passed away this morning at age 70.
The Barbados Government Information Service said he died at 12:26 a.m. at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
According to the Barbados Nation, Arthur, Barbados’ fifth Prime Minister, was hospitalised in mid-July with heart complications and was in the 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.
According to the Nation, 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.
Arthur led the Commonwealth observer mission to Guyana’s March 2nd general elections.
The Ministry of the Presidency today issued the following statement:
His Excellency, David Granger, President of the Co-operative Republic of Guyana is saddened at the death of former Prime Minister of Barbados, Mr. Owen Seymour Arthur. He was 70 years old.
Mr. Arthur, who served as Barbados’ fifth Prime Minister for three consecutive terms from 1994 to 2008, died this morning at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados after a brief period of hospitalisation.
The former Barbadian Prime Minister led recently an 11-member Commonwealth Observer Mission for Guyana’s General and Regional Elections which were held in March. In February, Mr. Arthur and the members of his observer team called on President Granger at the Ministry of the Presidency.
President Granger extends heartfelt sympathy to his wife Julie, daughters Sabrina and Leah, other relatives, friends and the people of Barbados.
The Citizenship Initiative today issued the following statement:
The Citizenship Initiative is saddened to learn of the passing of former Barbadian Prime Minister Mr. Owen Arthur. Our deepest condolences to his family, the people of Barbados and the CARICOM family of nations.
We will always be thankful for his efforts to foster peaceful, healthy relations between Guyana and our sister nation Barbados. He served his country honorably as Prime Minister, and continued to contribute his diplomacy, statesmanship and class to regional efforts to maintain democracy everywhere. Democratic Guyana recognizes Mr. Arthur’s stand for democracy as an accredited observer in Guyana’s 2020 Electoral Process, and salutes him for being a beacon of solidarity.
TCI is grateful for the lessons in politics and leadership left for us by Mr. Arthur, and we will honor his legacy by also standing firmly for democratic principles and representing our constituencies with dignity, inclusiveness and honesty. May his soul find eternal peace.
