(a) Any insurer may retain, invest in, or acquire the whole or any part of the capital stock of any other insurers, or have a common management with any other insurers, unless the retention, investment, acquisition, or common management is inconsistent with any other provision of the Arkansas Insurance Code, or unless by reason thereof the business of the insurers with the public is conducted in a manner which substantially lessens competition generally in the insurance business or tends to create a monopoly therein.
(b) Any person otherwise qualified may be a director of two (2) or more insurers which are competitors unless the effect thereof is to lessen substantially competition between insurers generally or tends materially to create a monopoly.