Wikipedia

Arinthia Komolafe

Arinthia Santina Komolafe (née Braynen, born 30 June 1980) is a Bahamian politician who was elected the Leader of the Democratic National Alliance (DNA), one of the three main political parties in the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, on 24 October 2017.[1] She succeeded Christopher Mortimer, who was appointed as Interim Leader of the DNA on 24 October 2017.[2] Mortimer was appointed Interim Leader following the DNA's defeat in The Bahamas' General Elections on 10 May 2017, when the Party failed to win a parliamentary seat out of the 39 possible parliamentary seats in the House of Assembly.[3] Founder and inaugural leader of the DNA, Branville McCartney announced his intention to resign from the Party and front-line politics following the defeat.[4][5] Komolafe is the first female leader of the DNA political party and other females such as Cynthia Pratt, former Deputy Leader of the Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and Loretta Butler-Turner, former Deputy Leader of the Free National Movement.

Arinthia S. Komolafe
3rd Leader of the Democratic National Alliance
Assumed office
22 February 2019
DeputyBuscheme (Busch) Armbrister
Preceded byW. A. Branville McCartney
Christopher A. Mortimer
Personal details
Born
Arinthia Santina Braynen

(1980-06-30) 30 June 1980 (age 43)
Nassau, Bahamas
CitizenshipThe Bahamas
Political partyDemocratic National Alliance
SpouseEmmanuel Komolafe (m. 2005)
ChildrenMorgan, Alexandria, Joshua
ParentBradley Braynen & Jenniffer Braynen (nee Harvey)
EducationC.R. Walker Secondary School
Alma materUniversity of Buckingham
ProfessionAttorney; banker; consultant; politician
Websiteaskomolafe.com

Early life and education edit

Komolafe was born Arinthia Santina Braynen on 30 June 1980 at Princess Margaret Hospital in Nassau, New Providence, The Bahamas, in the Farm Road community.[6] Her parents are Bradley Arthur Braynen, a civil servant, and Jenniffer Elaine Braynen (née Harvey) a retired banker, turned protocol and immigration consultant. She is oldest of her parents' four surviving children, two brothers, Anton and Marcus Braynen, and one sister, Anthinear Carroll.[7] Her eldest brother, Brandon Bradley Braynen, died at the age of 39 on 11 July 2016, following complications after surgery.[7]

Komolafe was educated in the Bain & Grants Town community at Willard Patton Primary School and C.R. Walker Secondary High School.[6][8] Komolafe has pursued studies in Accounting, Finance and Law. She received her Bachelors of Law from the University of Buckingham.[9] She successfully completed all the diplomas for the Society of Trust & Estate Practitioners (STEP) program in 2010.[10]

Marriage, family and faith edit

In 2005, she married Emmanuel Komolafe, whom she met at the University of Buckingham, England, in 2001. The couple were married at Mount Tabor Full Gospel Baptist Church. Their union has produced three children, two daughters and one son: Morgan, Alexandria and Joshua.[10] Arinthia Komolafe is a Christian and was christened and baptized at St. John's Native Baptist Church on New Providence, Bahamas. She and her family worship at the parish of St. Mary's The Virgin Anglican Church.[11]

According to the declared financial declarations, Arinthia Komolafe has assets worth more than one million US dollars (2021).[12]

Professional career edit

In September 2013, Komolafe became the first female Managing Director at the Bahamas Development Bank.[8] She served in the post up to March 2016 when she submitted her resignation to the then Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Perry Gladstone Christie.[13] During her tenure, Komolafe presided over a "no sacred cows" policy which ensured that political cronies and beneficiaries of nepotism were not spared from being pursued for funds owed to the bank.[14] Other accomplishments she listed as achievements was preparing a strategic plan for the forward movement of the Bank, proposing a corporate governance framework and implementing a robust provisioning policies among other things.[14]

In April 2014, Komolafe was recognised by U.S. Chargé d'Affaires to The Bahamas, John L. Armstrong for her nomination of the U.S. State's Department Global Leadership Mentorship Program. .[15]

Political career edit

In 2012, Komolafe was elected as the Chairperson of the New Providence Women's Branch of the Progressive Liberal Party. She previously served as the Secretary of the Women's Branch under the Chairmanship of Manita Wisdom who she succeeded. During her tenure, Komolafe led a delegation of women to their first meeting at the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women meeting at the United Nations in March 2013.[16][17]

In January 2017, Komolafe was ratified as a candidate for the Democratic National Alliance in the Killarney constituency and served as the Spokesperson for Financial Services, Trade and Industry and National Insurance in the DNA's shadow cabinet.[18][19][20] She was one of thirteen women on the Party's ticket.[21][22][23] Her candidacy was opposite the leader of the Free National Movement, Dr. Hubert Minnis. Komolafe, Minnis and Reneika Knowles, candidate for the Progressive Liberal Party, were officially nominated as candidates for the Killarney constituency for the 2017 General Elections.[24] As the incumbent, Hubert Minnis won the seat for a third consecutive time, securing 4,163 votes, and went on to become the fourth Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas.[3][25][26] Komolafe secured 422 votes after only four months on the campaign trail - the highest of all the DNA female candidates and the third highest of DNA candidates of the 35 candidates fielded by the DNA. The top two votes went to former leader of the DNA, Branville McCartney in the Bamboo Town Constituency (604 votes), and Stephen Greenslade (544 votes), the DNA's candidate for the constituency of Golden Isles.[27][28]

At a special meeting held on 24 October 2017, Arinthia Komolafe was elected as Deputy Leader of the Democratic National Alliance. She succeeded Christopher Mortimer, who was appointed as the Interim Leader on 24 October 2017.[2][1] She announced her intention to seek the Leadership of the DNA via Facebook on 19 February 2019, and went on to defeat fellow challenger Kendal Smith by a decisive 6:1 margin.[29]

Selected writings edit

Arinthia Komolafe wrote a weekly column in the Nassau Guardian for five years, from 2012 to 2017. The articles addressed political and socio-economic issues facing The Bahamas.

See also edit

In 2014, Arinthia S. Komolafe served as one of the featured speakers in the 2nd Annual Eleuthera Business Outlook (EBO) on April 24, 2014:[30][31]

In 2018, Komolafe was selected to participate in the U.S. State Department exchange program in 2018, focusing on the U.S. electoral process:

Killarney Constituency 2017 General Elections Results[32]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic National Alliance Arinthia S. Komolafe 422 7
Progressive Liberal Party Reneika D. Knowles 1087 19
Free National Movement Dr. Hubert A. Minnis 4163 73

References edit

  1. ^ a b "DNA names new leader & deputy". www.bahamasnational.com. 2017-10-25. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  2. ^ a b "DNA's Special Meeting/Elections". Dive Exuma. 2017-10-25. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  3. ^ a b "The Bahamas Investor". www.thebahamasinvestor.com/2017/plp-defeated-in-fnm-landslide/.
  4. ^ "Founder of Political Party in The Bahamas Walking Away from Leadership". Caribbean360. 2017-10-11. Archived from the original on 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  5. ^ "Branville McCartney to step down as DNA leader". Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  6. ^ a b "The Bahamian Dream II – The Nassau Guardian". thenassauguardian.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  7. ^ a b "Brandon Bradley "The Grill Master" Braynen's Obituary on The Nassau Guardian". The Nassau Guardian. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  8. ^ a b "Bahamas Development Bank Welcomes Mrs. Arinthia S. Komolafe as Managing Director". The Bahamas Weekly. 3 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-30.
  9. ^ "The Bahams Development Bank Welcomes Arinthia S. Komolafe as Managing Director". The Bahamas Weekly. 3 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2013-09-30.
  10. ^ a b "Bahamas Development Bank appoints first female managing director – The Nassau Guardian". thenassauguardian.com. 2013-09-30. Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  11. ^ "Biography". Komolafe For Killarney. 2017-03-10. Archived from the original on 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  12. ^ "At Least 55 Millionaires Want Seats in Bahamas Parliament - Caribbean News".
  13. ^ "Bahamas Development Bank's Managing Director to resign". The Bahamas Weekly. 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-04.
  14. ^ a b "Bahamas Development Bank's Managing Director to resign". 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 2016-04-04.
  15. ^ "thebahamasweekly.com - U.S. Embassy Honors Andrea Archer as The Bahamas' 2014 International Woman of Courage Award Recipient'". www.thebahamasweekly.com. 2014-04-03. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  16. ^ BahamasLocal.com (2013-03-14). "PLP Women's Branch attends UN's 57th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women | Bahamas Local News". www.bahamaslocal.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  17. ^ "PLP Women's Branch attends UN's 57th Session on the Commission on the Status of Women". www.thebahamasweekly.com. 2013-03-13. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  18. ^ "DNA 'would have 13-member Cabinet' if elected". Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  19. ^ "DNA ratifies 9 candidates". www.bahamasnational.com. 2017-01-13. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  20. ^ "Bain among nine new candidates named by DNA – The Nassau Guardian". thenassauguardian.com. 2017-01-12. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  21. ^ "thebahamasweekly.com - DNA Women urge more female participation at the Cabinet level". www.thebahamasweekly.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  22. ^ Gibson, Jeffarah (2017-05-09). "Women making their mark at the polls". Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  23. ^ Hamilton, Deandrea (2017-04-28). "Race to the Polls: Female Candidates vs Male Candidates – Magnetic Media". magneticmediatv.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  24. ^ "Minnis, Knowles and Komolafe nominate for Killarney – The Nassau Guardian". thenassauguardian.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  25. ^ "Dr Hubert Minnis sworn in as Prime Minister of the Bahamas". Tribune242. 2017-05-12. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  26. ^ "Dr. Hubert Minnis Sworn In as Fourth Prime Minister of The Bahamas". www.thebahamasweekly.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  27. ^ "General Elections Results" (PDF). www.elections.gov.bs/archives/26592.
  28. ^ BahamasLocal.com. "Bahamas General Election 2017 - Nassau". www.bahamaslocal.com. Retrieved 2018-01-11.
  29. ^ "Arinthia S. Komolafe". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2019-03-26.
  30. ^ "Chamber Chief Optimistic About Eleuthera's Economic Future". 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-04-20.
  31. ^ "Eleuthera Business Outlook Set for April 24". 16 April 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-04-29.
  32. ^ "Parliamentary Registration Department" (PDF). www.elections.gov.bs/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/2017-General-Elections-Results.pdf.
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