UNC and NDP, run a joint platform. However, the proposals failed to come to fruition. The UNC was adopting a policy of attracting 'NAR voters' directly rather than attempting another formal alliance, and following his failure to reunite the party, Wilson resigned and the NAR was leaderless until just prior to the 1995 elections. During this period NAR chairman Robert Mayers served as the de facto leader. When elections were called in 1995, Robinson was persuaded to return and resume leadership of the party. In the elections the party retained its two Tobago seats, but failed to win any in Trinidad. However, it joined the UNC-led coalition and returned to government. Robinson was appointed Minister Extraordinaire and was elected president in 1997. Former Speaker of the House Nizam Mohammed replaced him as NAR leader. However the NAR continued to weaken and fracture. Its bargaining position was reduced when two PNM (People's National Movement) MPs defected and joined the government as independents. In the 1996 Tobago elections an NAR assemblywoman, Deborah Moore-Miggins, contested as an Independent and won, although the party won ten of the twelve seats. However, two other NAR assemblymen later defected and joined her in forming the People's Empowerment Party. During the 1996 local elections the NAR contested around a third of the 124 seats, whilst the UNC contested the remaining two-thirds. Most of the seats contested by the NAR however were PNM strongholds, where the NAR had little support. Even in places like Arima where the NAR could potentially have won, independent candidates split the vote, leading to PNM victories. The NAR won no seats and accused the UNC of supporting the independents, deliberately preventing the NAR from regaining representation in Trinidad. Further problems for the party from its two MPs. Morgan Job (who had taken over Robinson's seat) frequently sided with the UNC against the NAR leadership, whilst the other was increasing friendly with the PEP and eventually became an independent. The party subsequently withdrew from the government. Mohammed did not seek reelection and former Attorney General Anthony Smart became the new NAR leader in 1999. In the 2000 elections the party was reduced to a single seat. The following year the party lost the Tobago House of Assembly elections, defeated by the PNM. Early national elections were also held in 2001, which saw the NAR lose its single seat. In another early election the following