be politically motivated, Opposition Leader Frederick Wade said yesterday.

"What I have heard is that one of the motivating factors behind the move is that they don't wish to put low-income people in the St. George's South constituency,'' Mr. Wade told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"It's political, rather than economic.'' In the 1993 general election, the United Bermuda Party took both seats in St.

George's South, but by a much smaller margin than usual.

Government Whip Richard Spurling received 579 votes and Government backbencher Mrs. Grace Bell received 558, while Progressive Labour Party candidate Mr.

Arthur Pitcher was a close third with 517 votes.

Mr. Wade said residents of low-cost housing would be "more inclined to vote PLP'', and "that would certainly have an impact'' in any future election.

The Opposition Leader said he cannot prove that politics is behind Government's demolition plans, but "it makes sense,'' and "I wouldn't put it past them''.

Premier David Saul dismissed the suggestion.

"I don't think there's anything to that at all,'' Dr. Saul said. "There's an inventory being done of the buildings down there. We're going to see which buildings are good and usable and which ones are not.

"Any of the substandard buildings, like ones that aren't hurricane-proof, we'll have to take down.'' But that was because they would be too costly to fix up or maintain, he said.

"It doesn't have anything to do with boundaries at all.'' Mr. Wade said the Base housing -- which was returned to Bermuda from the US Navy as of September 1 -- "was suitable for the Americans to live in'' six months ago.

"From what I've seen of the housing, I don't see anything wrong with it.''