Dr. Bossman Asare Responds to Afrobarometer Report on EC’s Trustworthiness

Dr. Bossman Asare, the Deputy Commissioner of the Electoral Commission (EC), has dismissed the findings of a recent Afrobarometer report, calling it inconsistent and not a source of concern.

In an interview with Roland Walker on TV3, Dr. Asare questioned the credibility of the Afrobarometer report, which indicated a significant decline in public trust in the EC, with only 28% of respondents expressing confidence in the institution ahead of the 2024 elections. The report also revealed an alarming perception of corruption within the Commission, a sharp decline from the 59% trust recorded in 2012. This drop in trust has been noted as a concerning trend, particularly in the context of the upcoming elections on December 7.

Dr. Asare, however, countered these claims by referencing an earlier Afrobarometer report from 2020, which suggested that a majority of Ghanaians had believed the elections were conducted fairly. He raised doubts about the consistency of these findings, questioning whether there was truly a loss of faith in the EC.

“I am not troubled because the Afrobarometer report itself is quite inconsistent. The same report indicated in 2020 that a significant number of people believed the elections were conducted fairly. Are there really Ghanaians who have lost faith in the EC?” Dr. Asare said.

Furthermore, he pointed out that the EC had its own Electoral Commission project, which involves global researchers assessing the quality of elections worldwide. The findings of this research, according to Dr. Asare, showed that Ghana’s Electoral Commission was ranked fifth in the world for electoral integrity in 2024, with a quality score of 70%.

Dr. Asare’s comments come in light of concerns regarding the EC’s perceived performance and integrity, but he remains confident in the Commission’s ability to deliver a fair and transparent election.