myleslaroda

As the country approaches the May 12 general election, the political future of Myles Laroda in Pinewood may hinge on Pinewood’s stubborn, unresolved reality–flooding.

Laroda, the incumbent for the Progressive Liberal Party, is once again seeking the confidence of voters in a constituency that has long been considered a political battleground. Pinewood is not a safe seat but a swing constituency.

Flooding has persisted for years, disrupting daily life, damaging property, and testing the patience of homeowners who have repeatedly called for a permanent solution. For many voters, it is a personal, immediate and unresolved matter.

The Davis administration acknowledged the scale of the problem. Following severe flooding triggered by Tropical Storm Imelda, Philip Davis, along with Cabinet members including Laroda, descended on the area and pledged action. The government also announced plans for comprehensive flood remediation, with funding earmarked to address the issue.

However, for residents on the ground, the gap between announcement and execution remains a point of frustration. While temporary responses such as pumping trucks have been deployed during a period of heavy rainfall, a long-term fix has yet to materialize.

The political stakes are heightened by the narrow margin of Laroda’s 2021 victory, which was secured by fewer than 800 votes. In such a tightly contested constituency, flooding is a potential electoral point of contention.

The broader question for Pinewood voters is whether anything has been done during Laroda’s tenure to justify another term, or does the persistent issue of flooding signal a change in parliamentarian.

In Pinewood, it will not just be a two-man race. Incumbent PLP MP Myles Laroda is seeking another term, but he faces a challenge from FNM hopeful Denarri Rolle and third-party Coalition of Independents leader Lincoln Bain.

With flooding frustrations, shifting voter loyalty and third-party momentum, Pinewood could once again prove unpredictable. It has a history of switching hands between the PLP and FNM.

It will become a closely watched battleground heading into the general election.

In 2021, Myles Laroda secured the constituency for the Progressive Liberal Party with 1,712 votes. The Free National Movement candidate at the time earned 937, while Lincoln Bain received 641.

That appears to be a comfortable PLP margin.

But Pinewood’s history tells a different story.

The constituency has flip-flopped between the two major parties for more than two decades. In 2017, Reuben Rahming won the seat for the FNM, defeating PLP candidate Khaalid Rolle. Since 2002, Pinewood voters have alternated between the PLP and FNM, making it one of the more politically fluid constituencies in New Providence.

That trend alone resists the idea that it is a “safe seat”.

The 2021 numbers also reveal another layer–If you combine the FNM and COI totals from that election, the anti-PLP vote surpasses Laroda’s total. The numbers show a significant bloc of voters willing to choose an alternative.

This time, the FNM has introduced a new standard bearer—Denarri Rolle, who is campaigning heavily on flooding solutions and infrastructure reform. Bain is also back, appealing to voters frustrated with the two-party system.

Laroda enters as incumbent, with a Cabinet label and name recognition. But he also faces continued scrutiny over Pinewood’s long-standing flooding issues, even as a $20 million drainage plan has been announced. But nothing has happened.

So is Pinewood up for grabs? Politically, it may come down to turnout, voter frustration, and whether opposition votes split.

If history is a guide, Pinewood is not loyal to political parties.

For the governing party, former Press Secretary Clint Watson is a tool in its propaganda war.

As he transitions to general manager at the country’s national television broadcaster ZNS, it is hoped he will assert the political might of the PLP and expand its influence on the national airwaves.

When Watson was recruited from Eye Witness News after he vehemently lambasted the Minnis-led administration and pushed the PLP’s messaging in the run-up to the general election in 2021, he parroted the government’s perspective from the Office of the Prime Minister and he will do the same from his position as general manager of ZNS, hoping to attract thousands of Bahamians to a dying station as he promotes PLP’s virtues, deflects criticisms and advances the government’s talking points.

Expect the government’s propaganda tool to intensify in its campaign.

An anonymous source told the Tribune that Watson could assist in pushing the government’s message to the public after developing a close relationship with Prime Minister Philip Davis and his administration.

Minister of State with responsibility for ZNS Myles Laroda seemingly used a defense mechanism to deflect the appointment, saying, “I could confirm that, that decision was made by the Board of Directors,” he told the media on Tuesday after months of speculations.

“You know, the public will make up its mind when they see the product of ZNS. Clint Watson has worked at various agencies and I don’t think we’re gonna disqualify individuals because they work at OPM,” he said after reporters questioned Watson’s ability to be neutral.

The Progressive Liberal Party has taken a page out of an old propaganda playbook that uses recognizable faces with well-paid jobs to become propaganda spinners. This comes after the governing party depleted media houses of journalists and positioned them in government offices after it took control.

As the party seeks to hold onto power and aims to be re-elected in the 2026 General Election, it is increasingly concerned about its public image since public opinions are growing more hostile due to increased crime, booming migrations, and the high cost of living.

The PLP now realizes it needs to improve its media strategy, using ZNS, a crucial battleground, as its mouthpiece.

Watson’s success will be determined and graded by his ability to disseminate narratives that amplify the governing party’s propaganda and weaken the party’s competitor, the Free National Movement.