In a political shift that has caught many observers off guard, Joanne Massiah, the founding leader of Antigua and Barbuda’s Democratic National Alliance (DNA), has publicly pledged her full support to Lamin Newton, the candidate for the Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP), ahead of the country’s upcoming general election. Massiah made her unprecedented endorsement official during a public meet-and-greet event with constituents held on Monday night, where she explicitly urged local voters to cast their ballots in Newton’s favor.
This cross-party backing marks a dramatic departure from Massiah’s long-held political stance. Since splitting from the United Progressive Party (UPP) and launching the DNA in 2017, the third-party movement has positioned itself as a distinct progressive alternative to both the ABLP and the UPP, the nation’s two dominant established political forces. For years, Massiah has been one of the most vocal critics of ABLP policy and leadership, making her public endorsement of an ABLP candidate all the more unexpected.
According to multiple eyewitnesses present at the event, Massiah directed her appeal specifically to voters in the All Saints East and St Luke constituency, where Newton is standing for election. This electoral district is already projected to be one of the most closely contested and highly watched races in the upcoming general election, turning Massiah’s surprise endorsement into a major talking point for political analysts and voters across the country in the lead-up to polling day.