Regional leaders pay tribute

Regional leaders are mourning the passing of Prime Minister David Thompson who died early this morning.
 Among those paying tribute to Thompson were Prime Minister of Grenada Tillman Thomas and Opposition leader of St Lucia, Dr Kenny Anthony.
Thomas described the late leader as a friend, colleague and a good leader.
“It is with great sadness that I learned this morning of the passing of Prime Minister David Thompson. On behalf of the Government and people of Barbados, I express condolences to his family, his Cabinet, and the Government and people of Barbados. Prime Minister David Thompson was a friend, a Caribbean visionary and leader who’s wisdom was beyond his years.
“His leadership in building and deepening the relationship with the OECS and at the wider Caribbean level will be greatly missed. He will be remembered for his soft spoken but firm leadership, determination and perseverance to work towards an improved quality of life for the people of Barbados and the people of this region”, he said.
Anthony said the late prime minister was his friend. His passing, he said, was painful and distressing.
“These are the moments when life seems so mysterious and unfair. It is hard to accept his passing. I knew David from our days from the faulty of law at Cave Hill. We studied together. We spoke about politics frequently. From those days David wanted an opportunity to shape the future of this country, to make a difference to the lives of Barbadians and to the politics of Barbados.
“He finally got that opportunity to make that mark but death just snatched him away,” he said sadly. (CM)