thirdparties

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 Independents Lincoln Bain seemed to have unfriended House Speaker Halson Moultrie, lambasting his poor representation of the Nassau Village constituency.

In a social media post, Bain turned on Moultrie, decrying his decision to install several manual water pumps in the Nassau Village community last year, which Moultrie said was done to help the less fortunate individuals in his constituency, so that residents could have access to water to fight COVID-19.

Bain said, “…as a Member of Parliament for Nassau Village, Halson Moultrie did not do a good job. I must be realistic, except for maybe putting come red pumps,  water pumps, hand pumps, in the 21st century. He put outdoor handpumps and painted them red in that community.”

Why it matters

Moultrie and Bain formed a friendship, bonded by their criticism of Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.

Last week, Moultrie, an open critic of Minnis, joined forces with Bain and other third parties to hold an ‘open parliament’ to criticize the government.

However, the friendship changed on Tuesday when Moultrie joined the new party, United Coalition Party (UCP), which was formed to contest the next election.

Lincoln claims the UCP is supported by the Progressive Liberal Party and was created to confuse voters because the name is similar to his party’s.