Nelson Bascome hugged each other outside the polling station in Pembroke East after the final results were announced.

Both effectively retained the votes they had garnered at the 1989 election, and added to them the majority of votes cast in that election for Mr. Austin Thomas of the National Liberal Party, which did not field a candidate in the district this year.

"I'm very pleased with the outcome in Pembroke East,'' said Mr. Bascome, who topped the poll. "Our canvassing suggested the result was never in doubt.'' Mr. Bascome won 938 votes, or 42 percent of the total votes cast in the constituency. His total was 370 votes more than he had received in 1989. "I was referred to as `the young PLP candidate' when I won in 1989,'' he said.

"There will be quite a number of new members in the House after tonight, but I hope I'll still be referred to as `young'.'' Mr. Bascome is 38.

Mr. Simmons placed second in the sixth election he has contested at the Victor Scott School, with 865 votes, or 38 percent of the total votes cast, having polled 583 votes in 1989. He described himself as "satisfied'' with the result, having earlier in the day expressed his confidence in the outcome.

"The final push was hectic,'' said Mr. Bascome. "Once an election is announced, every voter expects to see you on the doorstep immediately. We did get to everyone, but toward the end there was a lot to do in a short space of time.'' The United Bermuda Party candidates, both of whom were running for the first time in a General Election, were Ms Keetha Lowe and Mr. Ramadhin Smith. They received 211 and 206 votes respectively.

Mr. Smith congratulated the winners, and said: "The impression I have is that the voters in this constituency are hungry for change. I was a little disappointed to hear that Mr. Bascome was letting voters read a private letter I wrote to the Department of Works and Engineering -- but that's politics, I suppose. I still feel that the incumbents in this constituency need competition.'' Ms Lowe said: "I knew this was a tough place to start, but I feel I have gained good experience during the campaign. I will be back here, working to resolve some of the problems which constituents raised, as early as tomorrow morning.'' Approximately 40 voters plumped for Mr. Bascome, while a dozen plumped for his running mate, Mr. Simmons. Split tickets -- one vote for a member of each of the two parties -- were cast by 45 voters.

RESULTS Nelson Bascome (PLP) 938 Ottiwell Simmons (PLP) 865 Keetha Lowe (UBP) 211 Ramadhin Smith (UBP) 206 Void ballots 4.

OCTOBER 1993 ELECTION