Photos & Video: Diallo Rabain Wins By-Election
Voters headed to the polls yesterday [Feb 4] for the Constituency 13 Devonshire North Central by-election, with the PLP’s Diallo Rabain winning with 461 votes, compared to 351 votes for the OBA’s Andrew Simons.
Following the final vote count, Mr Rabain said, “First, I’d like to thank the constituents of Devonshire North Central; 827 of you came out and cast your vote, that is an incredible amount for a by-election.
“461 of you have put your X on the ballot and said that you want Diallo Rabain to be your MP. For that I thank you, I thank you.
“This is a victory for the Progressive Labour Party, it is a message to the One Bermuda Alliance that the policies that they have enacted since they were democratically elected in 2012 have been solidly rejected by these constituents.
“This is a message to them, there’s a trust deficit that is growing.”
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“There is a Bermuda that’s being generated that Bermudians feel they have no say, they have no way to make a living, and they have no way to feel that this island is their home anymore. Today’s vote sends a message to the One Bermuda Alliance that these people, the Bermudian people, are saying ‘no more,” added Mr Rabain.
“We want you to change, we want you to do things that are in the benefit of all Bermudians and not just a certain segment of Bermuda. We want you to stop with the airport project, we want you to stop treating our seniors like second-class citizens.
“We want you to put as much effort into our education system as is needed to make sure that we have educated children willing and ready to take the mantle that they deserve here in Bermuda.
“We want unfair immigration policies to end. This is also a referendum on the One Bermuda Alliance, and this should go to showing them what’s going to be happening at the next general election.
“I stand here before you thanking you constituents, my heartfelt thank you. I thank my team, we couldn’t have done it without you. We’ve been on the ground non-stop for the last two months, and this is simply the result that we expected, this is simply the result that we deserve.”
“When you go out and you touch the people, when you knock on doors and you listen to them and you take what they say to you to heart, that is what we talk about trust.
“When you take that trust and you stomp on it and you do things that are anti-Bermudian and you do things that do not provide a future for your Bermudians, this is what happens to you; you get voted out.
“Thank you very much again, I appreciate all the help I’ve gotten from my family, I appreciate all the help I’ve gotten from the Progressive Labour Party, my canvas team, Constituency 13, the branch members, it’s been a phenomenal ride. It’s been a lot of hard work put in, in the last two months, but the work has only just begun.
“Let us move forward, and let’s look at voting the Progressive Labour Party into being the next government of Bermuda.
“First order of business is to continue canvassing. That is what my mandate has been when I stood at the doorstep. I will continue to listen to you, I will continue to come to you for guidance, because at the end of the day, these are the people that I represent, and if I don’t represent them to the fullest of my ability, which includes listening to them and bringing their issues to the fore, then I deserve to be voted out, but I know that’s not going to happen. Thank you.”
Opposition Leader Marc Bean also spoke last night, saying, “We’re blessed, we’re very grateful to the constituents of Constituency 13. Again, this showed three key areas or three key concerns in the minds of the people. One, they’re sick and tired of the One Bermuda Alliance.
“Two, we have a quality candidate in newly elected MP Diallo Rabain, and three, this is endorsement of the direction of the Progressive Labour Party. In all three points, this result has spoke volumes.”
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Marc Bean is stretching the third point at the end “direction of the PLP” to justify his continuance of leadership.
Rabain’s win has far less to do with Bean as an individual or leader.
This speaks volumes on the leadership of Marc Bean. All those that said the PLP could not win a election under Marc Bean are eating their words right now.
Not only was an election won under Marc Bean, a significant increase in the number of votes for the PLP Candidate was also achieved. From a win by 15 votes for the last candidate to a whopping 110 votes this time around. That’s says it all!!! Congratulations to Diallo Rabain on a great and well deserved victory. Congratulations to Party Leader Marc Bean on the endorsement of your leadership by the people of C13!!!
And this was won with those oust not participating.
Inequality is dangerous in a democratic capitalist country. Quo Fata Ferunt!
In the last 2 – 3 decades, which party do you thinks more responsible for widening it… given who oversaw the destruction of our senior education system. Also, it important to note that Mr. Rabain actually campaigned on maintaining a system of inequality in our society, while Mr. Simons at least made it clear he didn’t believe in denying anybody their legal rights. And while Mr. Rabain campaigned with a fantasy idea of making our seniors lives better, Mr. Simons has actually being dealing with the reality that the PLP left the seniors and done all he can to try and maintain some level of care for them in the face of the reality of the monumental lack of resources government has been left with to provide that care.
Congratulations to Mr. Rabain for maintaining what has always been a PLP seat, I honestly didn’t think Mr. Simons would get it anyway, as I mentioned, Mr. Rabain had the advantage of campaigning on a fantasy he doesn’t have to deliver, while Mr. Simons had to sell the bitter reality that too many still would like to deny, particularly as it relates to how this mess got as bad as it was and is.
Seriously? So what is your proposed ideology, Marxism? Pray tell how inequality does not exist in ANY democratic society.
Well done.
This was a clear indictment of the OBA policies and government. A resounding victory for Diallo Rabain.
Andrew Simons is a good guy but he was left out in the cold by OBA policies and decisions that just do not resonate with the average Bermudian.
Hey dreamer,by-elections don’t matter!
And there were 834 that did not vote for Mr Robain
That is trying hard to find a silver lining…anyone can make such arguments that still does not change the result or the landscape. It is like PLP saying “Oh we lost only 17-19 in the general election” A loss even by one vote is a 100% loss.
***** the PLP
….on the OBA
Diallo will now need to change all his social media names from Senator to MP Diallo Rabain.