Tensions Flare During Pinewood Constituency’s Ballot Recount

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NASSAU, BAHAMAS – The Pinewood Constituency is now at the center of a political firestorm, after what started as a routine recount quickly escalated into a day filled with tension, confusion, and mounting allegations.

Party representatives huddled over every single ballot box for what was an intense recount, as questions emerging over spoiled ballots and signatures that some claimed did not match officials.

At one point, tempers flared inside the room, leading to a heated altercation that resulted in a PLP representative being escorted out.

Meanwhile, the FNM’s Denari Rolle remained composed despite the unofficial results showing an election loss.

Denarii Rolle – FNM Candidate, Pinewood

“When I last checked, officially some 3,600 voters or 5,500, so it’s safe to say it wasn’t a low turnout generally across the country. But I’m good, I’m excited, I’m still happy. Everything I did was from the bottom of my heart.”

“I still think I’m the better candidate, but over the next five years, you’ll be hearing more and seeing more of me.”

Meanwhile, the PLP’s Myles Laroda delcared victory in Pinewood, pushing back against the narrative that the seat could not be won by his party.

However, even with the declaration of victory from unofficial results, the controversy surrounding the recount continued to grow.

We also asked Laroda about COI Leader Lincoln Bain’s claims that there were ballot issues, and his calls for the matter to go to election court, and he says this:

Myles Laroda- MP-elect, Pinewood

“I don’t want to get caught up in the semantic, we have won. I think what we should be careful of in this country is not to bastardize a system that we depend on. The Bahamian people for the most part accept the results of the elections.”

Meantime Bain, who made headlines after delivering what appeared to be a victory speech before all polling stations had closed, defended his actions.

Lincoln Bain – COI Candidate, Pinewood

“This is emotional for me. We didn’t respond prematurely, we got certain information, and based on that information, we responded to it.”

“And then we saw a thing shifted all of a sudden, and we don’t know how that could have possibly happened that he jumped from 597 votes to 1,211 votes.”

Bain also claims that during the recount, his team discovered what he described as major irregularities.

Lincoln Bain – COI Candidate, Pinewood

“The problem is, we’re seeing some signatures that are not consistent. And initially, you know, we let it pass, but eventually we saw a signature that was totally not supposed to be on any ballot. That was actually on one of my ballots, and so I actually contested my own ballot.”