darrenhenfield

South Beach has developed a reputation as a flip-flopping constituency in Bahamian politics.

Unlike traditional strongholds, South Beach has consistently shifted between the Progressive Liberal Party and the Free National Movement over successive election cycles, making it a key battleground heading into May 12.

The current race features incumbent Bacchus Rolle for the PLP, facing Darren Henfield for the FNM and Karon Farrington representing the Coalition of Independents.

In 2021, Rolle secured the seat with 1,959 votes, defeating the FNM’s Jeffrey Lloyd, who received 1,296 votes. The Coalition of Independents candidate earned 322 votes.

South Beach’s voting history suggests that such leads are not permanent.

Over the past four election cycles, the seat has alternated between parties: Cleola Hamilton (PLP) in 2012, Lloyd (FNM) in 2017, and now Rolle (PLP) in 2021. Earlier, Phenton Neymour held the seat for the FNM in 2007.

This shows that South Beach voters are willing to shift their support, often in response to national mood, candidate appeal, and local concerns.

Rolle enters the race with the advantage of incumbency.

However, Henfield is not an unknown challenger. As a former Member of Parliament for North Abaco, he has experience and name recognition, factors that could help consolidate FNM support.

While Farrington is new to frontline politics, her presence reflects a broader sentiment among some voters who are increasingly open to alternatives outside the two major parties. Historically, third-party candidates have struggled to win seats, but they can influence the result by drawing votes away from traditional party bases.

Still, the race remains between the PLP and the FNM.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has had to correct Channel 10 Miami News broadcast when television broadcasters incorrectly reported the coronavirus numbers in the Bahamas while warning Americans of traveling to the country based on Centers for Disease Control’s travel advisory for the Bahamas.

What happened and why it matterscovid19

• The reporter said that there were 7,460 COVID-19 cases reported in the Bahamas on Tuesday, when in fact the number for that day was 29. The 7,460-figure referred to in the broadcast was the total number of cases recorded in the Bahamas to that date. The news story was repeated on several social media outlets and at least one local news station.
• The incorrect reporting can adversely affect the country’s already ailing tourism industry as officials move to increase tourism numbers.

The big picture

The US government’s recent advisory is at a level 4, ‘very high level,’ warning its citizens that they should avoid all travel to the Bahamas, as travel “may increase their chances of getting and spreading COVID-19.” US travel advisories are issued at various levels for all countries around the world. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs says such advisories are normal and are done in accordance with US regulations.

What the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did to correct the error

• One report suggested that the Ministry took no action to correct this mistake made by Channel 10 and the Ministry’s leadership in Miami was called into question.
• The Bahamas Consul-General in Miami “immediately and appropriately” contacted Channel 10 to point out the error. Channel 10 subsequently made a retraction the same day.
• Furthermore, the Consul-General provided Channel 10 with the correct statistics for the Bahamas. The correction is on the website of Channel 10 and states, “Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story erroneously stated that 7,460 cases of COVID-19 had been reported on Tuesday. That number is, in fact, the total number of cases that have been confirmed in the Bahamas to date. We regret this error.”

Worth noting

• COVID-19 infections are actually trending downward based on the release of the latest statistics. Thirteen new cases were confirmed by health officials on Thursday:
  • New Providence–8
  • Grand Bahama–3
  • Abaco–1
  • Exuma–1

Featured Image: Tribune