Live Blogging: Warwick By-Election [PLP Win]
[Votes coming in] Starting from 8am today [Dec 15] the constituents of Warwick South Central, Constituency 26, headed to St. Mary’s Church Hall, Warwick, to select their Member of Parliament. The polls close in 15 mins [8pm] with the winner expected to be announced later tonight. You can view videos of the candidates speaking earlier today here.
Present at the polling station for the PLP are candidate Marc Bean, Premier Paula Cox, Minister Zane DeSilva, Minister Michael Weeks, Colonel David Burch, Anthony Santucci and more.
Present for the UBP are Kim.Swan, MP John Barritt, Jeff Sousa, MP Cole Simons, MP Charlie Swan, Senator Jeanne Atherden and more. Senator Michael Dunkley left earlier.
Present for the BDA are candidate Sylvan Richards, Craig Cannonier, Michael Fahy, Toni Daniels, Michael Branco, Kathy Michelmore, Andrew Marsh, Duane Dill, and more.
7:47pm: It is presently raining at the polling station, and those gathered are huddled are under tents. Photos below:
8:00pm: Polls have closed.
8:19pm: Party reps have been let inside for the counting process
8:40pm: First count shows the PLP’s Marc Bean leading with 82 votes, BDA’s Sylvan Richards in second with 26, and the UBP’s Devrae Noel-Simmons in third with 14.
8:52pm: 2nd count: PLP 150, UBP now in 2nd with 39, BDA with 32.
9:03pm 3rd count: The PLP’s Marc Bean continues to pull ahead, he has 218, the UBP’s Devrae Noel-Simmons has 60, and the BDA’s Sylvan Richards has 46. At this stage the outcome is clearly obvious.
9:24pm: PLP’s Marc Bean wins with 310 votes, UBP in second with 78, BDA in third with 70. Full details, photos, statements etc here.
Voters will choose the same old people that got us in this mess to begin with. I can’t say it helped that the UBP brought out a candidate that isnt even close to being credible.
Yawn is about the right response at this point. I’ve given myself too many headaches trying to care about the direction this island is headed. I am at the ‘don’t give a damn anymore’ stage.
I’m not sure any of the parties are fielding credible candidates. Marc Bean likes to pretend he was tight with Dr. Brown — but those in the know see him as a shallow “Brown Noser” rather than as someone who is realistically qualified to fill the former Premier’s seat. He lacks the passion, the commitment and the intellect as far as I am concerned. As for Sylvan Richards, I like the guy and I’d probably buy insurance from him. But am I prepared to buy a new political party that maybe too closely resembles the old one it split away from? I dunno. And neither, I suspect, do the voters in Warwick.
Onionseed,
What qualifies you to make these statements: “Marc Bean likes to pretend he was tight with Dr. Brown”?
And if he is not “someone who is realistically qualified to fill the former Premier’s seat”, isn’t that for the voters of the constituency to decide? As they have…
I guess the voter’s in Warwick all are missing something that you are not…or are you just making baseless assumptions based on a biased personal opinion….
Of course it’s my personal opinion — but it’s an opinion based on fact. Unlike you, I am not a blind follower — my party, right or wrong. With less than 50 percent of the electorate turning up to vote today, obviously the people of Warwick weren’t wildly enthusiastic about their choice of candidates, either!
Again, there you go…Blind follower? Of what? You got all that from me questioning your statements….irrational statements and inaccurate conclusion.
As to the people of Warwick, the results are in and the majority expressed their views…by a clear margin. Explain that away…I am not biased, just stating the real facts based on evidence.
With less than half of the voters showing up, there’s an argument that the majority of the voters of the constituency DID decide and didn’t find ANY of them viable.
Personally, I’d prefer a spoiled ballot to an abstention, as it’s recordable, but…
The majority didn’t bother to show up. Oh you mean the majority of the 40% that thought any of the candidates were worth the time? Yeah…ok. Congrats MP Bean, 310 out of 1000 people think you’re the man. Bravo.
Excellent! Thanks for being first with the first count figures, Bernews. What we’ve come to expect of you … No real surprises so far.
What did I say? Not even sure why Mr T and Richards even canvassed, Bean and the PLP had this wrapped months ago. Voters are morons
Congratulations to the Hon. Marc Bean. You work hard and deserve this appointment. You will represent your constituents well.
Let this be a lesson to the smug BDA party MP’s currently sitting in the house under false pretense. Their arrogance and presumption that they will be re elected at the next General Election blinds them. The only credit that I give them is that they broke away but how can anyone take you seriously after changing your beliefs suddenly after so many years with the UBP.
Congrats to Devrae for trying and for having the courage to accept responsibility for the conviction of drugs. Get well.
How do you feel about Wayne Furbert, the previous UBP lifer who was once the head of the UBP, representing the PLP nowadays?
I feel the exact same about him as well. Useless and used race as an excuse. He was spotting off at the mouth trying to win an election when he was opposition leader and now he joins! Seriously, give me a break.