Veteran Democratic Labour Party stalwart Astor B. Watts has passed away at the age of 98.

DLP President Verla DePeiza has described Watts as a fearless, long standing member of the party who would be sorely missed.

Below is the full statement:

In current parlance, Astor B Watts is what loyalty would look like. He joined the Democratic Labour Party in its fledgling days and walked tall alongside noted cornerstones like Errol Barrow, Branford Taitt and James Tudor. He was not afraid to debate them on issues and was active from early in policy development.

He never craved the frontline politics, but was active in the engine rooms. He related not only with the faces of the Party but also kept close ties with the Young Democrats.

When I joined that associate body he was introduced to me as the go-to person for Party history and for a clear-eyed perspective on, well, everything. You did not have to agree with him; in fact, you could outright displease him. So long as it was in the best interest of the Party Astor was getting involved.

In the best of times and the worst of times Astor raised his voice publicly on the call-in programmes in defence and promotion of his beloved Party.

In 2000 he engineered and piloted the Astor B Watts Lecture Series to develop a platform for young aspiring politicians to have their point of view heard. That series has endured.

To the end, he remained sharp and focused, a strong contributor to the re-shaping of the Party. He celebrated his 98th birthday just two days ago and there were hopes for his longevity. We have lost a warrior whose contribution will never be forgotten.

On behalf of the Democratic Labour Party I would wish to thank his family, particularly his daughter and grands, for sharing him with us. Our loss is acute, yours unmeasurable.

May God grant you strength, especially in these peculiar times.

Verla DePeiza

President

Democratic Labour Party