DNA holds Successful Historic First Congress

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In a historic showing, on Sunday 27 June 2021, the Democratic National Alliance (DNA) held its Inaugural Congress under the theme “Pathway to Prosperity – Courage to Change ”.

The event held both in-person at the Heritage Hotel and Virtually featured Congratulatory Messages from Leaders across the region including Hon.

Hazel Brandy-Williams of St. Kitts and Nevis who unscored the importance of female leadership to national development and highlighted past and present women leaders who have served our region with distinction. Minister Brandy-Williams also commented that Political Leader, Joanne Massiah, is “not a show woman but a quiet champion who serves with grace”.

Further greetings came from Ms. Una May Gordon, Climate Justice and Gender Advocate from Jamaica, who stated that “even with all the challenges, there has never been a time when more opportunities present themselves to make a most significant contribution to the transformation of our political system for the economy and the social benefit of our people.” 

Students from the University of the West Indies Mona Campus as well as Youth Advocates from across the region also sent congratulatory messages to the DNA demonstrating the impact of the new, fresh and dynamic political organization not only in Antigua and Barbuda, but across the Caribbean.

The guest speaker, Mr. Dwyer Astaphan, former Senior Minister of Government from St. Kitts and Nevis and Attorney-at-Law, had the audience riveted by his usual frank, forthright and penetrating assessment of the current state of politics within the region.

Mr. Astaphan reminded the gathering that while the pre-independence home grown leaders laid an adequate foundation in the social, educational and economic sectors which advanced their countries and people, the post-independence period witnessed the emergence of political leaders who have been and are incompetent, lack vision and are “woefully unsuited – intellectually, technically, attitudinally, ethically and morally – to govern…” He warned against the growing “transactional nature of elections shamelessly oblivious to the struggle of the hard earned right to vote won just 70 years ago” and where electors “abandon their dignity and self-respect and selling their votes which is a sad measure of depravation and depravity to which our people have sunk…”

In the second half of the day’s activities where the Business Session was conducted, members received reports from General Secretary, Gatesworth James, on the activities of the Party for the last four years as well as from Treasurer, Coady Joseph, on the Financial Standing of the organization. Members present physically and virtually, officially elected the Officers of the Party:-

President – Col. Joanne Massiah

1st Vice President- Col. Bruce Goodwin

2nd Vice President- Col. Anthony Stuart

Chairperson – Col. Malaka Parker

Deputy Chairperson – Col. Louis Rivera

Secretary General – Col. Gatesworth James

Deputy Secretary General – Col. Majorie Parchment

Communications Officer – Col. Chaneil Imhoff

Chief Financial Officer – Col. Gameal Joyce

Deputy Financial Officer – Col. Coady Joseph

Mobilization Officer – Col. Kelton Dalso

Massiah, a former Senator, Member of Parliament and Minister of Government is the first duly elected female Political Leader of a Party in Antigua and Barbuda.

The Democratic National Alliance is appreciative for the outpouring of support, well wishes, prayers and goodwill extended to our members and leadership who made this historic day possible and we look forward to your ongoing support as we forge ahead to taking the reins of Government in Antigua and Barbuda and afford our people to realize our motto of“Prosperity for All”.

 

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21 COMMENTS

  1. Yawnnn! First time I see an opposition party fighting tooth and nail against another opposition party, instead of the party in government and their incompetence.

  2. There are definately some impressive names on the DNA leadership list. A few I do not know anything about them. I note the emblem on the DNA banner is the “rose”, which is the emblem of all European social-demoratic and democratic-socialist partied, and the emblem of the SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL. Does this mean DNA is a socialist party? What is their philosophy and ideology??? Are they a progressive leftist party? Congratulations to all who were elected. It will be a hard fight ahead, but UPP no has chance as an alternative. Maybe DNA can pick up some seats.

  3. “Massiah, a former Senator, Member of Parliament and Minister of Government is the first duly elected female Political Leader of a Party in Antigua and Barbuda.”

    Wrong, Newsroom. You guys need to pay attention. Go back and listen to the tape of Malaka and Bruce on Dave show.

  4. Is this a red-oriented party? By “red” I mean socialist and labour????? Or is some kind of a captialist right-wing outfit??????

  5. A man has a wife and a girlfriend. He loves both of them very much and the excitement they bring to his life. He is happy and doesn’t want any change.
    But they are both high maintenance and very demanding. So wisely to chill out from all the great lovemaking, all the drama and all the excitement when they take him too far out on the edge, and when he wants a break to recharge his batteries, he gets a little something on the side.
    Nothing special, nothing exciting. In fact, boring. He goes by her to wind down until he is ready for excitement and fun again.
    She is boring. She demands nothing from him. She is safe. Did I mention she is boring?

    Meet the stopper gap chick. The boring chick.

  6. Ok since no one is going to say it then I will. This party was not formed for the love of the nation but for power. Most of these person are only there because they could not get into the UPP. As much as I would love change, I would love change for the country and not for personal gain. Just saying

    • The party was not formed for the love of power. That is Lovell´s M.O.
      The members of the party refused to tolerate the corruption and BADMIND embodied in Lovell, Gisele et al. Countless others have left the UPP because ´´LEADERSHIP MATTERS´´

      Why should they stay with the UPP and be led by a ´leader´elected under shady circumstances??? Evidently, the UPP led by Lovell is now paying for its political sins.

      Goodluck to the DNA.

  7. FINALLY! Congratulations and best wishes. Kudos to Joanne Massiah for being a strong woman who chose not to “legitimize the process” of unfairness perpetrated by Lovell et all in the run-off to the UPP leadership.

    Another freedom-fighter who thankfully escaped from the sinking ship captained by one Harold Lovell.

  8. Harold must know this new party will split the opposition vote and give a sound majority to the ABLP, with huge margins.

  9. @President? Political Leader?
    DNA. Wonder if that is the boring, outside chick that the blogger talked about.
    BTW, do they plan to have constituency branches, etc, or do they plan to win this election with fancy words from their leaders? Antigua has enough wordsmiths. Don’t want anymore.

    The leader must tell the nation why it is that she was expelled from the UPP. Not her story but the real story, the true story. Because there are people who know. UPP leaders with their foolishness about keeping things inhouse did not come out and say. But she got her story in first and the rest is history.
    The mermaid one must tell the nation why she is out, even after the leader put her up on a pedestal in the party and gave her pride of place to succeed him in his constituency.

    The so-called youth leader must tell the nation why she is out even after the leader gave her so much privilege despite her cockiness and over-inflated ego.

    The bearded one who got such a cushy posting overseas and got vex because the leader would not let him live the big shot life there while people here were tightening their belt during the economic downturn.

    The one who hated the leader because he could not allow him to stay in the House since the party lost and had a very small amount of people who could get a place there.

    Ungrateful! The whole bunch of them. Doing what they are doing for the wrong reason.

    Nobody is fooled by their pretense, playing they’re so better than the other parties.

    • Nobody is fooled…..except you! Believing the melee from King Lyadd will always result in being fooled. Take note that the DNA members aren’t the only ones who kicked the UPP/Lovell to the curb. Tap purge you kanshance boss.

  10. DNA under the leadership of Joan Massiah will be the dead of the UPP. She will be the next opposition party in government.

  11. All they are doing is splitting the vote and causing the very thing they are supposed to be here to prevent to happen, and that is allowing the ABLP to win again. As long as the UPP and DNA keep this up, it will be another 100 years before they win an election in Antigua and Barbuda.

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