2021election

DNA Leader Arinthia Komolafe announced her resignation from the Democratic National Alliance, after the party’s third unsuccessful attempt at the electoral poll.

Komolafe made an official announcement at the party’s headquarters on Friday, citing various reasons, including a financial strain on her personal resources.

Komolafe acknowledged the difficulty of third parties to secure funding for campaigns, while admitting that she spent nearly six figures to fund the DNA’s recent political campaign.

“Third party politics in the Bahamas is brutal and extremely difficult. It involves taking on established guards of the PLP and the FNM,” she said.

Komolafe lamented the current model of operation within the party stating it is unsustainable since the party depends on volunteers. Komolafe said during her tenure, she served as the financier of operations, writer of press releases and charged the administrative work of the party.

She said the candidates in the recent election personally funded their campaigns.

The big picture

Arinthia Komolafe succeeded the party’s founder Branville McCartney, to become leader of the party in 2017.

In the run up to the election, the party faced internal turmoil and fighting made public.

In the 2021 early election, the party suffered its worst support, garnering only 1,742 votes in 22 seats; in 2017, the DNA received 7,537 votes in its run for 39 constituencies; and in 2012, the DNA got more than 13,000 votes in 13 constituencies.

Why it matters

A third party has never won a general election nor seats in the House of Assembly. Leaders of third parties wound up joining the established parties after being wooed by positions and support.

Komolafe was praised as the first woman leader of a political party. However, she seemed to have never electrified her base.

What’s next?

Komolafe said she will not leave front line politics. But at the moment, she will focus on personal endeavors.

The party’s deputy leader Steven Nesbitt becomes interim leader.

Leader of the Coalition of Independence Lincoln Bain and candidate Wellington Roberts were fighting the same ‘enemy,’ the two major political parties. But on Thursday evening that all changed when Roberts joined the official opposition, the Progressive Liberal Party, two weeks before voters go to the poll.

Following Wellington’s resignation from the COI, Bain took to social media at 8:30 Thursday night, expressing surprise at Robert’s move, after he was seen campaigning with PLP Leader Philip Davis.

“Just up to a few days ago, you were saying that we cannot let ‘Brave’ Davis get control of this country,” Bain said to Roberts in a live video post that saw more than 2500 views.

“Publicly for the last several months, you were standing up against the FNM and the PLP, and you were terrified of a country under ‘Brave’ Davis.”

Bain suggested that Roberts was weak for allowing the PLP to “buy him out.” Bain said he anticipates his party will win the government and Roberts will not “cross over to the new Bahamas.”

At 9:30, Roberts went live with nearly 4000 views and hit back at Bain, lamenting the financial burden he endured during his campaign in North Andros and the Berry Island, with no assistance from the COI.

“Ain’t no one can buy me out…I asked, I begged [and] I put out sponsorship letters. That didn’t work.”

“It took me money to travel to Andros, covid test, travel visa, ticket, SD (vehicle), hotel room and $400 (for nomination).

“I’m not going to lie to myself anymore.”

Roberts who was still in Andros during the live stream said it cost $900 to make the trip. He also lamented his struggle to find signatures for his nominations.

Roberts said he then knew he did not have the political support on the islands.

He then hit out at Bain for once leaving two political groups, the Free National Movement and the Democratic National Alliance.

Roberts, a strong critic of Davis, said before resigning from the COI, he held a discussion with the opposition leader.

“Davis is a nice guy. He didn’t offer me anything.”

Roberts will support the PLP candidate for Andros and the Berry Island, Leonardo Lightborne.

The North Andros candidate for the  Coalition of Independence Wellington Roberts dropped his bid for election and jumped ship to join the Progressive Liberal Party.

In a viral post, 36-year-old Roberts is seen dressed in PLP attire while campaigning with the opposition party.

Roberts is a self-proclaimed comedian and a known critic of the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party and has spoken publicly against the two major political parties.

He jumped to social media fame during a protest Down Town when furloughed Atlantis workers demonstrated for severance pay. Roberts was arrested for inciting unrest and disorderly behavior.

His decision to join forces with the PLP has provoked a response from the COI who confirmed the resignation of Roberts.

“Many people are weak and will sell out their nation for a bowl of porridge,” the party said.

The COI led by Lincoln Bain, is a newly formed party that has branded itself as an advocate of the country’s natural resources, and said, despite Roberts’ resignation, the party will “remain committed to standing with and for Bahamians who are dissatisfied with the state this country is in.”

However, Roberts has since released a short statement on social media claiming his decision was  made “in the best interest of myself, family and country.”

Roberts was in court on Tuesday for trial and maintained a not guilty plea to the charges levied against him. Magistrate Samuel McKinney is set to make a ruling on the matter next month.

(Roberts is seen on the right in featured photo)

As the Free National Movement hosted another night of its drive-in rallies in Eleuthera, the Progressive Liberal Party opted for a different campaign, a television-style programme to highlight the government’s “failures” amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

After putting its drive-in rallies on hold, citing high cases of death and hospitalizations in the country due to COVID-19, PLP Leader Philip Davis faced the camera to deliver a critical message of the government’s handling of the pandemic and the collapsing health care system.

“Why is the competent Authority dancing, instead of fixing the problems? Where is his sense of urgency? Where is his sense of decency? …Don’t tell me it had to be this bad,” Davis said while looking onto the lens of a camera to his supporters.

Davis said if the PLP is elected to govern the country, it will implement measures besides vaccinations, to fight the infectious disease, which would include high-quality masks, educational town hall meetings on vaccines, and ventilation and air filtration measures to reduce virus particles in facilities. Davis said vaccinations alone won’t prevent the spread of the virus.

While on a stage in Eleuthera as supporters sat in their cars and blew horns, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said vaccinations are the only way out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnis prided his government’s securement of nearly half a million doses of AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson vaccines.

He dismissed Davis’ ability to lead the country in the middle of a pandemic, citing his “lousy” representation of Cat Island and San Salvador.

“Davis can only show plans of what could have been done (in Cat Island and San Salvador). He was deputy prime minister and minister of works. He did not use his power to help his people

“A lousy MP will make a lousy prime minister.”

Three days after Prime Minister Hubert Minister announced an early election, he allayed fears, assuring voters of the polls’ safety as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a national address on Sunday, Minnis call on all eligible Bahamians to vote.

Minnis said advance voting privileges will be afforded to people 65 years and older, which will reduce the number of people at the polls on the same date.

The big picture

An early election will be on September 16, eight months before schedule.

It will particularly be an interesting election since the Bahamas is in the middle of a pandemic and Bahamians have never had to vote amid a pandemic.

Politicians will face the challenge of holding campaigns and rallies to reach voters. Minnis reiterated the Emergency Order which stipulates that all campaigners must be in groups of five and fully vaccinated.

Less than one month before the General Election, placards have appeared overnight in the country as political parties fight to generate support before Bahamians go to the polls.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis announced an early election, which came as a surprise to some, though speculations were rife that he would have called an early election

Immediately, political parties switched gears to launch their campaign.

The Free National Movement’s slogan, ‘It’s About Your Future’ is plastered on lamp poles and on street corners.

The Progressive Liberal Party’s slogan, “A New Day” is seen along highways and roundabouts.

As I drove around the country today, workers from their perspective parties planted new signs in various areas, hoping to capture voters’ attention.