Dookeran pays tribute to Owen Arthur: An exemplary public servant

Winston Dookeran -
Winston Dookeran -

Economist, academic and former politician Winston Dookeran sent condolences to the family of the former prime minister of Barbados, Owen Arthur, praising the late politician as a exemplary public servant and luminary in the regional community.

Arthur, 71, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Bridgetown, Barbados on Monday morning.

Speaking with Newsday after a wreath-laying ceremony outside the Red House to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1990 attempted coup on Monday, Dookeran said he was privileged to interact with Arthur while serving in government and as a fellow academic at UWI.

On Arthur's contribution to Barbados and the region, Dookeran said he would be remembered as a passionate statesman who worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for his countrymen.

"He was a man of great knowledge and great principles. He provided light to the Caribbean during his tenure.

"I know him very well. He was very reflective, but also very passionate. He would not speak unless he reflects on what he has to say, and he was passionate about whatever he said, because there was truth and integrity in his words."Asked what the region could learn from Arthur's life, Dookeran said: "What an ideal public servant in politics can be. Owen Arthur was one such person."

Dookeran and Arthur were both appointed professors of practice of economics development and international diplomacy at UWI in 2018.

Comments

"Dookeran pays tribute to Owen Arthur: An exemplary public servant"

More in this section