The Tribune

By EARYEL BOWLEG

Tribune Staff Reporter

ebowleg@tribunemedia.net

ARINTHIA Komolafe announced on Friday her immediate resignation as Democratic National Alliance Leader.

Mrs Komolafe explained candidly during a press conference the many reasons that sparked her resignation and admitted that third party politics in The Bahamas was “brutal” and “extremely difficult”.

While the party was trying to improve their performance during the 2021 general election, the party did not produce the results they’d hoped for. Their performance was quite the opposite and the party performed worse than in both the 2012 and 2017 elections.

Her absence now leaves the DNA’s deputy leader to become interim leader, as set out in the party’s constitution.

The plans to step down were communicated at a Central Council meeting earlier in the week.

“The current model upon which the DNA has been run from an operational, financial and resource perspective is unsustainable,” Mrs Komolafe said. “It is simply unsustainable to have a leader that is the main financier of the party’s operation alongside members on the leader being the commentator on the party’s behalf writing press releases for officers and spokespersons while performing administrative function within the organisation.

“This model has to change going forward if the party is to survive.”

According to her, the DNA experienced financial woes.

In the most recent election, the party secured no major donors and a lot of the candidates funded their own campaigns.

"Hence as leader I spent my own personal funds to the tune of six figures to fund the DNA’s campaign during the recent elections. The fact is that over these past four years the party has been plagued with financial challenges. We are grateful to members who paid their dues and to the Bahamians who have supported our fundraising initiatives, but these amounts were only significant to contribute to the operating expenses of the party which totalled at least $100,000 annually,” Mrs Komolafe said.

She also highlighted that it was very difficult to find a group of dedicated and committed individuals to take a leading role in the party and function in that role.

Mrs Komolafe added: “As you can imagine if one person and in our case many persons are not functioning in their roles it simply means that others must step in to fill the gap or the gap goes unfilled. Unfortunately, this has happened too many times within our organisation.”

In July, the party announced that Steven Michael Nesbitt and Derek Smith were the new duly elected deputy leader and chairman respectively.

The men were elected at a special congress meeting as Buscheme Armbrister stepped down effective June 30 in order to attend to “personal matters”.

Omar Smith, the previous chairman, stepped down to contest the position of deputy leader, but lost to Mr Nesbitt.

Mrs Komolafe also said it was very likely that she would have already been elected had she decided to run on the tickets of either of the major party.

Specifically, she suggested offers were on the table with the Free National Movement in 2017 and another in 2021 with the Progressive Liberal Party.

However, according to Mrs Komolafe, she could not just “abandon ship”.

“The fact of the matter is I was too deep in. I had done too much work and I thought the organisation derived a fighting chance and reality is based on my moral and ethics as a captain. I could not abandon ship though the storms were raging.

“Though I was being ridiculed by those who had claimed to be DNA supporters at some point I kept my head high and pushed towards the finish line.”

Although she leaves her post as leader of the DNA, Mrs Komolafe said this does not mean she intends to leave frontline politics.

Asked if she would consider an offer from other parties, she answered: “Everything I do in my life, I have to pray and I have to meditate about it.

“For me, politics has always been a vehicle. It is vehicle to bring forth a vision that I’ve been carrying for years -- for where I feel this country should go and needs to be.

“So, any decision I take in terms of frontline politics has to be an environment where I believe that vision is able to be brought to pass. I’m not just looking to be a politician. I could’ve done that long time.”

As for allegations leveled against the party back in March 2021 it was decided that no further action would be taken in relation to the “bogus allegations” levied, she said Friday.

The DNA’s leader and other party officials were brought to the Central Police Station in March for questioning in relation to a March 3 protest and events that occurred later that day. They were released several hours later.