More Trouble For Electoral Commission

Landlords of houses used as polling centre during elections and electoral exercise have descended on the Electoral Commission for failing to pay compensation for using their premises for electoral exercises.

The landlord numbering about ten particularly in the Ablekuma South and central constituencies in Accra told this reporter that, they offered their premises to the Electoral Commission since the advent of the 1992 constitution.

Since then, the electorate have destroyed lawns in front of their houses when they queue to vote. This situation came about as a result of the inability of the Electoral Commission, to provide polling centres. The commission also uses public schools to conduct elections. Where there are no public schools, the commission resorts to the use of private properties such as churches, private schools and in extreme cases residences of prominent people in the society.

In classical example, a land lord narrating his ordeal of destruction in his residence, Mr Bortey, a property owner said he offered his property to the commission for the registration exercise and in the process prospective voters destroyed the beautiful lawns and flowers he use to beautify his residence. ?I had to pay dearly for being a patriotic citizen for offering my residence for a national exercise?, he stated.

He called on the electoral commission to endeavour to pay them compensation for offering their properties for the national exercise or they would resolve to refuse to offer their properties for the voting exercise come, December 2004 general elections.