The Director of Policy Engagements and Partnerships at CDD-Ghana, Dr Kojo Pumpuni Asante, has expressed concerns over the declining public trust in Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC).
His comments follow findings from the latest Afrobarometer Survey, which points to an increasing distrust in institutions, including the EC, alongside rising corruption levels.
In an interview on Joy News’ PM Express on Tuesday, Dr Asante stated that the trend data on public confidence in the EC is particularly alarming.
“If you look at the trend data, it’s that over time, the trust in the electoral management body has declined significantly,” he stated.
He noted that, while some measures have been taken by the EC to improve transparency and restore trust, more needs to be done to reverse the current trajectory.
With only 40 days left until the elections, Dr Asante believes there is still an opportunity for the EC to strengthen public confidence.
“I think there’s always a lot that can be done, and 40 days is still a long time to the election. Every day leading up to the election is a chance to improve people’s confidence in the electoral process,” he said.
According to him, ongoing efforts to increase transparency are vital, as they directly impact the public’s trust in the EC.
Highlighting the importance of past election performance as a reference, Dr. Asante observed that a majority of the public felt the previous election was fair.
“If you ask people for their assessment of the previous election, at least 60% indicated it was free and fair, even if with minor problems,” he pointed out.
However, he warned that this relatively favourable perception of the past election cannot be the sole basis for gauging current public confidence.
For Dr. Asante, the EC’s role in safeguarding democracy is crucial.
“Our entire democracy cannot be running on such low trust levels. Any organisation would struggle and be close to collapse with this kind of public scepticism,” he warned.
He urged the EC to engage in “serious introspection” to identify and address the causes of the declining trust in the electoral process.
