From left, Christopher Mortimer, Branville McCartney, Arinthia Komolafe, Chairman-elect Omar Smith, and Deputy Leader-elect Buscheme Armbrister.
By RIEL MAJOR
ARINTHIA Komolafe says she is focused on moving her party forward and recruiting viable candidates after being elected by the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) as the first woman to lead the political party.
The election took place at the third party’s convention on Friday night at the Courtyard Marriott.
Mrs Komolafe beat her competitor, Kendal Smith, in a landslide receiving 66 votes against Mr Smith’s 14 votes.
Buscheme Armbrister was elected as the party’s deputy leader and Omar Smith as the national chairman.
In an interview with The Tribune, Mrs Komolafe said she hasn’t spent much time focusing on winning the position but is overwhelmed by the support given by the delegates of the convention and is focused on the way forward.
She said: “At this time, I’m still locked into the way moving forward and what it is we are going to do to achieve our goals of ascending to governance...I haven’t really had the time to let it all (sink) in.”
Mrs Komolafe said over the last several months the DNA has been working on rebuilding and restructuring the organisation.
“We will continue to do that now moving forward,” said Mrs Komolafe. “But we will also supplement that with strengthening our ground game so that we will be able to knock on the doors of the Bahamian people listen to them, hear their concerns and wherever we can provide tangible support we will be able to do that.
“As we have been doing, we have been putting social initiatives on the ground by providing aid for persons who need help for various reasons and so we will continue to do that.”
The newly elected leader said party officials are planning to start the recruitment process of candidates early and is encouraging persons interested in running in the next general election to reach out to the DNA.
She said: “We want credible candidates that can get into the communities now to meet the constituents there. We do not want to wait until the last minute to do this and so we will be sending out a call for persons who are interested to run on the ticket of the DNA in the next general election to come and interview with us.”
Mrs Komolafe said the attention towards her gender is not unusual because the Bahamas has never had a woman at the head of a major party or a female prime minister.
Mrs Komolafe said: “As a region, all Caribbean counterparts have been electing women to head their countries. We’ve seen this in Turks and Caicos, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and we’ve seen it in Dominica and Bermuda. This is not an unusual concept within our region. I think it’s gathering a lot of attention because we have not yet achieved this peak.
“I think it’s good, it starts the conversation and it’s really increased the dialogue between parties but really and truly I tell persons that competency is not narrowed down to gender. When you look across the country women are really leading the country. They hold a lot of senior positions across the public service as well as the private sector. I think it’s getting a lot of attention because we have yet to have a CEO at the executive level of a country.”
She added: “We want persons to acknowledge, yes this is a female making a bold step but at the same time let’s question is this female competent to lead us to the path where we feel we need to go as a people, and I think that should be the main focus.”
DNA founder Branville McCartney led the party since its formation in 2011 until 2017. Mr McCartney resigned in 2017 after the party’s dismal results in that year’s general election. Chris Mortimer, the DNA’s former deputy leader, served as interim leader after Mr McCartney’s resignation.
Comments
sealice 5 years, 2 months ago
isn't any bahamian a viable candidate for anything within reason in the Bahamas?
Miss....How you gonna do anything without the big boss man bran's money???
bogart 5 years, 2 months ago
AS LONG YA HAS DA BESTEST...MOSTEST ...CAPABLESTEST......BRILLIANNTEST....SMOOTH...SUAVE....SUGGA ON DA TONGUE...Sweet talker.....BRILLIANTEST....CATCHY...SLOGANS........GAN GAN BE....GIVIN ALL SIZE TEE SHIRTS.... ...CAPS....GET HUG....PLENTY MACARONI CHEEZE...CHICKEN WINGS...CONCERT ...CANDIDATES.......
WILL DA BRIALLIANTEST ...CANDIDATED AND ELECTED CANDIDATED..........BE FOLLOWING DA SENIORS...SENORITY...IN DA PARTY ...WESTMINISTER.SYSTEM......???????????..........
sheeprunner12 5 years, 2 months ago
A refreshing young face .......... Now prove that you can take the DNA to Parliament
Schemer18 5 years, 2 months ago
Why after an election, & why not now? So what is her plans for the Bahamian Economy for the next 10 years after 2022?
SP 5 years, 2 months ago
Better question. What is YOUR plan, PLP and FNM plan for the next 10 years?
Nitwit!!
SP 5 years, 2 months ago
Up to this moment, she has my vote. The PLP are total non-starters a and the FNM is rudderless under Minnis.
joeblow 5 years, 2 months ago
Absolute waste of time, as time will tell!
DDK 5 years, 2 months ago
.....and you know this because?
licks2 5 years, 2 months ago
She has been talking plenty lately. . .num skulled just like that Moss man who does talk so much bull spit. This woman is lost lost. . .but we will see if she learned anything lately! It could be that she was dumb down by them other peoples around her. . . them man peoples them! Now I will be willing to allow for "she ting" to kick up here!! But if she continues as usual. . .NOTHING BUT DRIED PAINT!!
joeblow 5 years, 2 months ago
... there are many simple reasons, the most obvious is that too many people loathe Brave Davis to cast a vote toward the DNA in this next election! People despise Minnis, but they despise Davis even more!
@coakley4mical 2 years, 9 months ago
THERE STILL HAS NOT EVER BEEN A FEMALE LEADER OF A MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY IN THE BAHAMAS FROM 1955 TO 2022!
. The major political parties functioning today in the Bahamas are The PLP and The FNM! Mrs. Komolafe your statement seems to be a recyclable afterthought of deception and slight play of hands in misdirection, and this was said then and it appears it was said with an intent to deceive the public and electorate or the Caribbean or global Community. If so then please feel free to correct the statement of allusion delusion and illusion. "This goes out to all DNA aka truly RNA and m-RNA", stop trying to deceive the people to paint a picture, and just be plain and straight forward. .
IF YOU ARE ALLUDING OR STATING THAT YOU; ARINTHIA KOMOLAFE IS THE FIRST FEMALE LEADER OF A MAJOR POLITICAL PARTY IN THE BAHAMAS; PLEASE BY ALL MEANS, I DARE YOU TO RESPOND TO & CLARIFY THIS COMMENT!
.
BAHAMIANS WILL VOTE FOR COMMONSENSE AND LOGIC NOT FOR FASHION!
This organization is not entitled to a vote because you are a female/woman, you get the Bahamian vote when you prove that you worth the value to called a Prime Minister. What you are saying and what is being written in this article sounds a lot like Democrats of 2012 Hillary Clinton Campaign - Vote for her because she is a woman, how about integrity, humility, sincerity, truth and honesty, sympathy and empathy. It did not work for Hillary Clinton as Democratic Candidate for US Presidency and 100% sure it won't work for you in The Bahamas! Bahamians are too smart, we want to best person for the job, whether it is man or woman! .
BILL COSBY THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDIN
Based on how Your organization handles it own members who disagree with you and your board, you have more than ever shown that you and your organization are not ready to lead the Bahamas and won't possibly ever be ready. If what Boykin Smith said is TRUE of what happened, Mrs. Komolafe should have stepped down immediately! but instead you didn't. Sounds like you would be worst than Lanisha Rolle (FNM). No wonder why you allegedly tried to smash Boykin's phone, no doubt a lesson learnt from Bain and Rolle when he recorded their conversation. Allegedly you & your party frightened the be-Jesus out of that Boykin. Your party ratified him as a candidate to want to represent people, instead he had to fall on his mommy issue protector in Camille, you & your party should have been teaching & training Boykin how to change his own pamper first & make his own baby bottle before trying to send him out to fight for others when he has to learn to fight for himself. A true leader would have been able to detect he wasn't ready for the number #1 position, so how many of your candidates are like him? That's terrible what you all did & you want to refer or allude to your party as being a Major Political Party? .
If that is what you are saying, be woman enough to respond so you remove all doubts?
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