Antigua and Barbuda mourns death of Sir Lester Bird

ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Prime Minister Gaston Browne, Monday described Sir Lester Bird as a “great son of the soil” as he led the country in mourning the death of the island’s second prime minister.

A statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that all flags be flown at half mast, beginning immediately, and that planning commence for a State Funeral at an agreed-upon date.

It said that the sad occasion took place this morning at about 6 a.m. (local time) and in a personal statement on his Facebook page, Prime Minister Browne extended “sincerest condolences to the family of our National Hero, Sir Lester, who transitioned to the great beyond.

“Sir Lester was a great son of the soil, who contributed significantly to the socio-economic development of our nation. May his soul Rest in Peace and rise in glory,” Browne added.

The statement from the Office of the Prime Minister said that “Antigua and Barbuda has lost one of its most distinguished and heroic sons”.

Sir Lester Bryant Bird, 83, began his political career in 1971 when he was nominated to the Senate. He served as the island’s second prime minister from 1994 to 2004. He was chairman of the ruling Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP) from 1971 to 1983.

Former Montserrat premier, Reuben Meade, in extending his condolences, said Sir Lester is remembered as being the one to facilitate unfettered access of Montserratians to Antigua after they were displaced by the volcanic activity in the 1990s.

“Montserrat and Antigua and Barbuda have long had a close fraternal relationship. However, we remain deeply grateful to the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, especially under Sir Lester’s leadership, for their accommodation of our people in our greatest time of need.

“Sir Lester will forever remain one of the giants of the modern Caribbean society. We extend our sympathies and prayers to his immediate family, and the people of Antigua & Barbuda,” Meade wrote on his Facebook page. (CMC)