A political party that has struggled to find its footing since its founding will not be contesting the upcoming snap general elections.

The party’s Management Committee met earlier this week and unanimously decided to sit out the elections expected to be called by the Prime Minister within 90 days. In a brief statement, the DNA confirmed the decision and urged stakeholders to conduct themselves within the law and called for elections “free and fair, and free from fear.”

The DNA was founded on April 18, 2017, in the wake of a fractious leadership battle within the United Progressive Party following their 2014 election defeat. From the outset, the party drew heavily from the UPP’s ranks, with many of its founding members and candidates being former UPP stalwarts.

That overlap fuelled persistent accusations that the DNA was a calculated instrument designed to split the opposition vote and siphon support away from the UPP, accusations that dogged the party through the 2023 general elections and have never fully gone away.

Whether by design or misfortune, the party’s track record at the polls did little to silence those critics. The January 2023 general elections proved particularly damaging, resignations from almost all of the parties’ previous candidates.

Led by former MP and Senator Joanne Massiah, the DNA closed its statement by insisting it “remains committed to the long-term development and prosperity of Antigua and Barbuda”, a declaration that, given the party’s current state, few are likely to lose sleep over.

The party did take the opportunity to thank its supporters, members and well-wishers for what it called their “unwavering support, encouragement and prayers over the years.”