lincolnbain

A 58-year-old Carmichael Road man was arrested Wednesday, held for questioning on threats to kill Prime Minister Philip Davis.

Police said this is still an ongoing investigation.

This comes after Police Commissioner Clayton Fernander suggested that Lincoln Bain Leader of the fragmented political group Coalition of Independents and his supporters have spewed incendiary comments possibly leading to the criminal threat.

Police have not revealed the name of the individual in custody or his connection to any political group, but Bain has since insisted he is not responsible for inciting death threats against Davis.

“I am not responsible for the words of any adult,” a defensive Bain insisted in a social media video post after Commissioner of Police Clayton Fernander in a press conference stated that the COI may be behind calls made to Davis’ office on Friday.

Bain and his supporters held a protest on Wednesday in Parliament Square protesting the influx of Haitian migrants, in which they blamed Davis and his government for not doing enough to curtail the immigration problem. One supporter is even seen swearing at Davis as he made his way to the House of Assembly under heavy police guard. And another man shouts for the police to “assassinate” him.

Bain insisted he was not present when the remarks were made. “It took place before I was there. It is not my duty to control anyone’s words.”

Because of two anonymous calls to kill the prime minister, Fernander said the Royal Bahamas Police Force would beef up security to ensure Davis’ safety.

“The threat level is high, based on the calls,” Fernander said as he insisted that the COI is “in line of inquiry,” as authorities conduct investigations

“Lincoln has to control his supporters.”

Fernander promised a meeting with Bain who seems to attract a growing number of Bahamians feeling marginalized by society.

Bain ran in the 2021 election and hopes to lead his group to the general election in 2024, pushing his far-right ideologies and extremist views on immigration.

In his quest to create ‘a new Bahamas,’ some of his actions have raised eyebrows.

Three days after charges were filed for unlawful assembly and obstruction leading to chaos in Parliament Square, the Leader of the Coalition of Independence took to social media on Sunday to provoke an attack on an officer he says is responsible for driving a vehicle that he said “hit” his supporter.

Lincoln Bain showed a picture of the police he called ‘Jarvis’, telling his supporters, “They need to be treated special if you see them around society.”

Bain and some members of the group showed up in Rawson Square on Wednesday to give parliamentarians a copy of their immigration proposal and wound up in a fight with officers when Bain was asked to move from the steps and work within the precincts of the square.

Bain resisted and was physically removed by a senior officer. Chaos erupted and he was eventually carried away in a police vehicle.

During the melee, his supporter Cara Ellis was seen standing in front of the police vehicle to prevent officers from driving Bain away, who was in the backseat. Officers standing on the outskirts then forcefully removed her from the passageway of the vehicle.

However, Bain, who says Ellis is like a daughter to him, says she was an innocent bystander and only stopped by to take video shots of him being carried away. “She is an innocent girl. She was just standing up taking videos.”

Showing a picture of ‘Jarvis’ he repeatedly said, “Cara this is Jarvis.”

Bain encouraged his supporters to share the picture of the officer. “I need their faces to be all over social media. Yes, this [is] the Haitian.

“When you’ll see him, love him up,” he said.

Bain, along with Ellis and seven other members of his group were detained and charged for the melee. They are now on $1,500 bail and will return to court on December 1.

Lincoln Bain, leader of the Coalition of Independents and eight members of his party were charged and released on bail following a clash with police in Parliament Square on Wednesday.

The group was reportedly detained overnight in jail and was charged before the Magistrates court on Thursday morning, facing a litany of charges including unlawful assembly, obstruction, assault, disorderly behavior and resisting arrest.

The group pleaded not guilty then was released on $1,500 bail.

They walked out of the front door of the Magistrates Court where they were greeted by cheering supporters. Bain and the eight accused were seen embracing the happy crowd which  shouted, “Freedom is a must.”

Bain and some members of the group showed up in Rawson Square on Wednesday to give parliamentarians a copy of their immigration proposal and wound up in a fight with officers after Bain was asked to move from the steps and work within the precincts of the square. 

A senior officer physically removed Bain from the steps when chaos erupted and he was eventually carried away in a police vehicle.

They will return to court on December 1.

They were represented by Maria Daxon and Donna Dorsette Major, both members of the COI.

Before Bahamians head to the polls, Leader of the Coalition of Independents, Lincoln Bain sought to refute claims that his party plagiarized architectural drawings.

Bain took to social media to clarify plagiarism claims after drawings of a hospital and airport purportedly designed by a candidate of COI made the rounds on Facebook that appeared in Google searches.

Bain said on Wednesday night, the drawings were “only templates” used by his party to present the concept to the public. He accused others of being “mischievous” in an attempt to discredit the party.

The party’s Tall Pines candidate Kendall Richardson, an architect and the purported designer of the drawings agreed with Bain, stating that he purchased the architectural software and was given rights to the drawings that he “reconstruct[ed]” and “made his own.”

In earlier social media posts, Bain boasted of his party’s plan for the “new Bahamas” showing the drawings while claiming they were designed by Richardson.

“The plans are already drawn…He has already designed the hospital. It’s called Health city…There’s going to be spas, things to lower your stress. It’s going to be traditional medicine mixed with alternative medicine.

“We meticulously went through every single room of this hospital…Your candidate was in every single evening planning the new Bahamas…We went through every single part of this, what’s going to happen, where it’s going to happen. This was drawn by our visionary Kendall Richardson.”

Richardson deleted the drawings from his Facebook page after the accusations of plagiarism were levied against him.

Bain and his party have garnered hundreds of followers on social media since promising that his party, if selected by the people, will give one acre of land, $100,000 dollars, and a stimulus package of $2000 to each Bahamian.

It remains to be seen if he can turn followers into voters, as third parties in the country have never been successful at the polls.

Former Coalition of Independents member Wellington Roberts said he would reveal damning details about the party if members persist in criticizing his decision to leave and support the Progressive Liberal Party.

“I ain’t tell the full story. If I tell the full story, the wall of Jericho will come crumbling down,” Roberts warned.

When Roberts initially resigned from the COI, he cited health, safety, and financial concerns after receiving the nomination to run for the party in the North Andros and the Berry Island constituency.

However, on Monday, Roberts insisted there were other reasons why he left the party, “that I would not mention at this time.”

Since the move to leave the party, Roberts has received backlash on social media with many calling him a “traitor.”

Roberts said on Monday during a social media live, “I ain’t tell the full story yet. I am begging you and your organization to leave me alone. The slick jeers, the slick comments…you’ll leave me alone.”

He spoke directly to Bain, “Talk to them, because you’ll control them. They are you’ll ‘blackanites,’ ‘COInites,’ ‘Lincolnites.’ Talk to them. Leave me alone. Let sleeping dogs lie. I ain’t tell the full story.”

Why it matters

Roberts was considered an influential member of the third-party COI before his resignation. He garnered a large number of social media followings as he worked with Bain to expose “corruption” that they said are in the governing party and the PLP.

On the day of his resignation, he was seen dressed in a PLP shirt standing with Opposition Leader Philip Davis, while campaigning for the party.

Roberts said he now supports the PLP’s candidate for the North Andros and the Berry Islands Leonardo Lighbourne

Leader of the Coalition of Independence Lincoln Bain and candidate Wellington Roberts were fighting the same ‘enemy,’ the two major political parties. But on Thursday evening that all changed when Roberts joined the official opposition, the Progressive Liberal Party, two weeks before voters go to the poll.

Following Wellington’s resignation from the COI, Bain took to social media at 8:30 Thursday night, expressing surprise at Robert’s move, after he was seen campaigning with PLP Leader Philip Davis.

“Just up to a few days ago, you were saying that we cannot let ‘Brave’ Davis get control of this country,” Bain said to Roberts in a live video post that saw more than 2500 views.

“Publicly for the last several months, you were standing up against the FNM and the PLP, and you were terrified of a country under ‘Brave’ Davis.”

Bain suggested that Roberts was weak for allowing the PLP to “buy him out.” Bain said he anticipates his party will win the government and Roberts will not “cross over to the new Bahamas.”

At 9:30, Roberts went live with nearly 4000 views and hit back at Bain, lamenting the financial burden he endured during his campaign in North Andros and the Berry Island, with no assistance from the COI.

“Ain’t no one can buy me out…I asked, I begged [and] I put out sponsorship letters. That didn’t work.”

“It took me money to travel to Andros, covid test, travel visa, ticket, SD (vehicle), hotel room and $400 (for nomination).

“I’m not going to lie to myself anymore.”

Roberts who was still in Andros during the live stream said it cost $900 to make the trip. He also lamented his struggle to find signatures for his nominations.

Roberts said he then knew he did not have the political support on the islands.

He then hit out at Bain for once leaving two political groups, the Free National Movement and the Democratic National Alliance.

Roberts, a strong critic of Davis, said before resigning from the COI, he held a discussion with the opposition leader.

“Davis is a nice guy. He didn’t offer me anything.”

Roberts will support the PLP candidate for Andros and the Berry Island, Leonardo Lightborne.

The North Andros candidate for the  Coalition of Independence Wellington Roberts dropped his bid for election and jumped ship to join the Progressive Liberal Party.

In a viral post, 36-year-old Roberts is seen dressed in PLP attire while campaigning with the opposition party.

Roberts is a self-proclaimed comedian and a known critic of the Free National Movement and the Progressive Liberal Party and has spoken publicly against the two major political parties.

He jumped to social media fame during a protest Down Town when furloughed Atlantis workers demonstrated for severance pay. Roberts was arrested for inciting unrest and disorderly behavior.

His decision to join forces with the PLP has provoked a response from the COI who confirmed the resignation of Roberts.

“Many people are weak and will sell out their nation for a bowl of porridge,” the party said.

The COI led by Lincoln Bain, is a newly formed party that has branded itself as an advocate of the country’s natural resources, and said, despite Roberts’ resignation, the party will “remain committed to standing with and for Bahamians who are dissatisfied with the state this country is in.”

However, Roberts has since released a short statement on social media claiming his decision was  made “in the best interest of myself, family and country.”

Roberts was in court on Tuesday for trial and maintained a not guilty plea to the charges levied against him. Magistrate Samuel McKinney is set to make a ruling on the matter next month.

(Roberts is seen on the right in featured photo)

Leader of the Coalition of Independents Lincoln Bain seemed to have unfriended House Speaker Halson Moultrie, lambasting his poor representation of the Nassau Village constituency.

In a social media post, Bain turned on Moultrie, decrying his decision to install several manual water pumps in the Nassau Village community last year, which Moultrie said was done to help the less fortunate individuals in his constituency, so that residents could have access to water to fight COVID-19.

Bain said, “…as a Member of Parliament for Nassau Village, Halson Moultrie did not do a good job. I must be realistic, except for maybe putting come red pumps,  water pumps, hand pumps, in the 21st century. He put outdoor handpumps and painted them red in that community.”

Why it matters

Moultrie and Bain formed a friendship, bonded by their criticism of Prime Minister Hubert Minnis.

Last week, Moultrie, an open critic of Minnis, joined forces with Bain and other third parties to hold an ‘open parliament’ to criticize the government.

However, the friendship changed on Tuesday when Moultrie joined the new party, United Coalition Party (UCP), which was formed to contest the next election.

Lincoln claims the UCP is supported by the Progressive Liberal Party and was created to confuse voters because the name is similar to his party’s.

In a crowded race, more than five candidates are vying for the position of Prime Minister. These candidates want to lead the Bahamas in a post-pandemic era. The economy needs a revival and the country’s health system needs restoration, both of which have suffered since the start of the COVID19 pandemic.

Who is the best leader for the job?

Here are the leaders of political parties, vying to win the hearts of Bahamians.

Dr Hubert Minnis

Minnis is the incumbent running for the position of prime minister, a post he has held since 2017. The 67-year-old is the parliamentarian for the Killarney constituency. He was a gynecologist and obstetrician before becoming a politician. In 2007, Minnis was elected to Parliament and served as Minister of Health and eventually became leader of the party where he faced many internal conflicts.

After his victory at the polls, Minnis’ leadership was challenged following the devastations caused by Hurricane Dorian in 2019 that destroyed Abaco and parts of Grand Bahama, two economic hubs of the Bahamas.

His greatest test has been the COVID-19 pandemic that forced lockdowns and curfews, resulting in a depressed economy and lost jobs. While some have criticized the lockdowns and curfews imposed by the Emergency Order, some have praised Minnis’ handling of the pandemic and his rollout of the vaccines.

Philip Davis

Davis is the leader of the official opposition party, the Progressive Liberal Party. The 70-year-old is a lawyer and serves as the Member of Parliament for Cat Island and San Salvador. Many people have criticized the poor conditions of these islands where Davis has served since 2002, due to its lack of infrastructural developments.

Davis served as Deputy Leader of the PLP in 2012 and became leader of the party after his party’s defeat at the polls in 2017.

Davis has been a strong opponent of the Emergency Order and criticized the lockdowns and curfews imposed by the government. He has been described as the “flip-flopper” who changes his views on government policies to suit his talking points.

Arinthia Komolafe

Komolafe is the leader of the Democratic National Alliance, a position she inherited in 2019 after the resignation of its interim party leader. The 41-year-old became the first woman to lead a political party.

She is a banker and lawyer and was a former member of the Progressive Liberal Party. Komolafe has recently faced conflicts within her party that became public in recent months. Some have questioned her ability to lead a country due to her gender and her marriage to a foreigner.

This year, she was detained by police for an illegal protest held in Parliament Square which some have called ‘gender bias.’

She has received praise for her enlightenment and communication skills.

DNA is the third viable option for voters, but the party has lost its spark. It will be the third time the party goes to the polls after the 2012 and 2017 election results.

In 2012, the party received 13,000 votes and received 7,537 votes in 2017.

Lincoln Bain

Bain is a controversial talk show host turned politician. Bain has sought nomination from two political groups, FNM and DNA, but was not successful. He formed the Coalition of Independents in 2021, a party that accrued independent candidates to run in the upcoming General Election.

Bain initially formed an activist group, Bahamian Evolution which lobbied for Bahamians to benefit from the country’s natural resources, but it has since morphed into a political group.

Bain opposes the COVID19 vaccines and led protests to oppose government policies. His campaign has been mainly social media based as he seeks to expose corruption. He has attracted a large social media following.

Bain promises Bahamians that if he is elected, he will ensure each Bahamian receive $100,000.

It remains to be seen if he can turn followers into voters.

Cassius Stuart

Stuart founded the Bahamas Democratic Movement but he later dissolved the party after joining the FNM in 2011.

The businessman has since left the FNM and restarted his party. Stuart seems to have no momentum but says he has a plan to move the country forward.