Former Prime Minister Sir Lloyd Erskine Sandiford has hailed Democratic Labour Party (DLP) stalwart Astor B Watts for his “significant contribution” to the party’s development, particularly in its fledgeling days.
Sir Lloyd said Watts who died on Monday at age 98 was always interested and focused on the development and growth of the party and will be greatly missed.
“He was a stalwart of the party and he made a significant contribution to it. He was particularly interested in how the members were contributing to the development of different aspects of the party. He loved the party and he was very interested in the contribution he could make to push the party forward,” he said during a brief interview with Barbados TODAY.
Sir Lloyd, the fourth Prime Minister from 1987 to 1994 said that he worked with Watts on several projects.
In a statement, DLP President Verla DePeiza described Watts as a fearless, long-standing member of the party who would be sorely missed.
She said he walked tall alongside noted cornerstones like Errol Barrow, Sir Branford Taitt and Sir James Tudor, and was not afraid to debate issues and was active from early in policy development.
The statement also described Watts as one who never craved frontline politics, but was active in the engine rooms, and related not only with the faces of the party but also kept close ties with the Young Democrats.
DePeiza said: “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.”
The DLP leader said that in 2000, Watts piloted the Astor B Watts Lecture Series to develop a platform for young aspiring politicians to have their point of view heard, which continues.
“To the end, he remained sharp and focused, a strong contributor to the re-shaping of the party. He celebrated his 98th birthday two days ago and there were hopes for his longevity. We have lost a warrior whose contribution will never be forgotten,” DePeiza said.
On behalf of the DLP, the president thanked the Watts family, particularly his daughter and grandchildren for sharing him with the DLP.
anestahenry@barbadostoday.bb
