A Security consultant, Prof Kwesi Aning has stated that there is an urgent need for the Electoral Commission (EC) to regain public trust and respect.
According to him, there were instances where the conduct and statements of some EC staff undermined the public confidence and trust.
This comes after a report from Afrobarometer indicated that the EC, which once enjoyed a trust level of 75% in 2005, now commands the trust of only 33% of Ghanaians. This marks a sharp drop from its initial 63% trust rating in 1999.
The data, collected from 1999 to 2022, also revealed a concerning decline in public confidence in the judiciary and the police.
Speaking on JoyFM's Super Morning Show on July 8, he said, “There are quite a number of occasions where the behaviour of some of their staff, their utterances, the reversals of what they have put out there in the public domain certainly does not create trust.”
According to the security consultant, the judiciary also has a crucial role in calming tensions and resolving disputes, particularly during situations where citizens or groups do not have anywhere to turn to.
Prof Aning stated that any loss of the judiciary's perceived neutrality and effectiveness could worsen tensions, especially amid emotional and contentious electoral processes.
“When the judiciary loses that capacity to be seen as a neutral, effective and objective institution that can deal with the tensions and there can be high flying ones, emotional ones, particularly during elections where the allure of having access to public funds is great, that becomes dangerous.”
“Combining these three institutions with their low scores plus the five months or less than five months duration for the campaign of abuse, intimidation, threats, and misogynistic statements, puts us in such a tight spot. It doesn’t look pretty from where I am sitting at all,” he said.
Credit: Emmanuella Sarfo-Ntow