FORMER Prime Minister of Barbados Owen Arthur has died at hospital at the age of 70.
Barbados Today reported that he passed away at 12:26 am, after being hospitalised at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital last week with heart complications.
Arthur was the country’s fifth and longest serving PM, as he led for three consecutive terms from 1994 to 2008 and served at a Member of Parliament for the constituency of St Peter from 1984 to 2013.
His last election was in 2013 after the Barbados Labour Party was defeated at the polls.
After he retired 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.
He was appointed Chairman of the Board of LIAT, the Caribbean Airline, in January 2020.
The Government of Barbados extended condolences to Arthur’s wife, children and extended family while announcing that MP Colin Jordan would coordinate funeral arrangements.
Following his death, there will be a period of national mourning for three days and all flags will be flown at half mast.
