| About The
Prime Minister |
The
Right Honorable Owen Seymour Arthur assumed office on September 7, 1994,
as Barbados' fifth Prime Minister.
Mr. Arthur, who was born in Barbados on October 17, 1949, at age 44 became
one of the youngest Barbadian politicians elected to that office.
He successfully led the
Barbados
Labour Party (BLP) to victory in the
General Elections held on September 6, 1994, when it won 19 of the 28
seats in the House of Assembly.
He again led the BLP to a landslide victory on January 20, 1999, winning
26 of the 28 seats.
The Prime Minister's political career began when he was appointed a member
of the Barbados Senate in 1983. He became a Member of Parliament in 1984
and was appointed Leader of the Opposition in 1993. He remains Chairman of
the Barbados Labour Party.
The Prime Minister was educated at All Saints' Boys' School, Coleridge and
Parry School on a Government Scholarship, Harrison College and the
University of the West Indies, Cave Hill and Mona Campuses, the latter on
a U.W.I. postgraduate scholarship.
The holder of a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree (upper second class honours)
in Economics and History, and a Master of Science degree in Economics, Mr.
Arthur began his working career in Jamaica, as a Research Assistant in the
Department of Management of the Mona Campus, U.W.I.
In 1974 he
took up the post of Assistant Economic Planner at the National Planning
Agency in Jamaica. Within five years he attained the top post of Chief
Economic Planner. Mr. Arthur's next appointment was that of Director of
Economics, from 1979 to 1981, at the Jamaica Bauxite Institute.
As
Director, his responsibilities included the management of the Division of
Economics and Financial Affairs which monitored production of bauxite in
Jamaica, the payment of levies and taxes by bauxite companies and all
other aspects of the economic performance and affairs of the Jamaican
bauxite industry.
He
represented Jamaica on UNCTAD's Inter-Governmental Group of Exports on the
Transfer of Technology in 1975 and 1976, was a member of the OAS Task
Force on Technology Transfer in the Caribbean and a member of the
Caribbean Technology Policy Studies Project between 1977 and 1978. In
addition, Mr. Arthur also served as a member of the Board of Directors of
Jamaica's Scientific Research Council.
In 1981,
Mr. Arthur returned to Barbados and took up the post of Chief Project
Analyst in the Ministry of Finance and Planning, where he assisted with
the preparation and review of pre-feasibility and feasibility studies in
relation to Barbados' public investment programme.
He also
coordinated the preparation of Barbados' 1983—88 Development Plan and
participated in the negotiation of Barbados' 1982 programme with the
International Monetary Fund.
Mr. Arthur
joined the Institute of Social and Economic Research, Cave Hill Campus,
U.W.I. in 1983 and undertook research for publication into the balance of
payments stabilisation policies in Barbados. He also reviewed and edited
articles submitted to the Institute for publication.
He returned
to the Ministry of Finance and Planning as a Parliamentary Secretary in
1985 for one year, before joining the Department of Management, U.W.I. as
a part-time lecturer.
He
has served as a member of the Board of Directors of the Barbados
Industrial Development Corporation; a member of the Board of Directors of
the
Central Bank of Barbados, and Chairman of
the Barbados Agricultural Development Corporation.
The Prime
Minister also has wide experience as a consultant. He was consultant to
the Organisation of American States (OAS) in 1975; to the Ministry of
Housing and Lands, Barbados, from 1983 to 1984 and to Caricom, 1992.
His
publications include "The Commercialisation of Technology in Jamaica",
1979; "Energy and Mineral Resource Development in the Jamaica Bauxite
Industry" 1981; and "The IMF and Economic Stabilisation Policies in
Barbados" 1984.
He has been
a member of the Barbados Economic Society and is an active member of the
Barbados External Communications (BET) Sports Club.
His hobbies
include gardening and cooking.
Mr. Arthur
is married to the former Julie Price. |
| National Anthem: |
In plenty and in time of need
When this fair land was young
Our brave forefathers sowed the seed
From which your pride is sprung,
A pride that makes no wanton boast
Of what it has withstood
That binds our hearts from coast to coast
The pride of nationhood.
Chorus:
We loyal sons and daughters all
Do hereby make it known
These fields and hills beyond recall
Are now our very own.
We write our names on history's page
With expectations great,
Strict guardians of our heritage,
Firm craftsmen of our fate.
The Lord has been the people's guide
For the past three hundred years.
With Him still on the people's side
We have no doubts or fears.
Upwards and onward we shall go,
Inspired, exulting, free,
And greater will our nation grow
In strength and unity
(Words by Irvine Burgie; music by Van
Roland Edwards)
|
