The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission (EC) in charge of Corporate Services, Dr. Bossman Asare, has lauded Ghana’s global reputation for electoral integrity.

He describes the country as one of the best in Africa and a strong competitor on the global stage.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on November 19, Dr Asare cited research from the globally recognised Electoral Integrity Project to support his assertion.

“The evidence is very clear,” he said.

“We have researchers who do work on elections, and one of them is the Electoral Integrity Project. They assess the quality of elections worldwide, and in their 2024 report, Ghana ranked number five in Africa with a score of 70 out of 100.”

Dr Asare explained that the countries ahead of Ghana in the rankings were Cape Verde, Lesotho, The Gambia, and South Africa.

However, he stated that the populations of the top-ranked countries, except for South Africa, were significantly smaller than Ghana’s, further underscoring the complexity of Ghana’s electoral achievements.

“Cape Verde, the first on the list, has a population of less than 600,000,” he noted. “Lesotho, the second, has about 2.3 to 2.5 million people.

"The Gambia, the third, is one of the smallest countries in West Africa. South Africa, which is fourth with about 72%, is one of Africa’s superpowers. Ghana ties with Namibia for fifth place, and that’s remarkable given our population and the scale of our elections.”

Dr. Asare further highlighted the global significance of Ghana’s ranking. “Even on the world stage, Ghana’s performance is notable,” he said.

“Our score of 70% is comparable to that of countries in Western Europe, and even the United States scores almost the same as Ghana. This is a clear indication that, when it comes to the quality of elections, Ghana is up there with the best.”

The Deputy Chairman attributed Ghana’s strong performance to the EC’s consistent efforts to maintain transparency and integrity in its electoral processes.

“This ranking is not just a coincidence,” he emphasised.

“It’s the result of deliberate efforts by the Commission to ensure that our elections meet the highest standards.”

Dr Asare dismissed criticisms that Ghana’s electoral success should be measured against more populous democracies, arguing that the rankings are based on rigorous and globally accepted methodologies.

“These researchers have assessed almost all the countries in the world,” he said.

“Their work considers multiple indicators, and Ghana’s ranking shows we are excelling on all fronts.”

To reinforce his point, Dr. Asare promised to make the data from the Electoral Integrity Project available to the public.

“This information is readily available,” he said. “When you look at their rankings by region and continent, it’s clear that Ghana is still up there.”

He concluded by expressing confidence in the EC’s ability to maintain its reputation as a leader in electoral administration.

“The evidence speaks for itself,” he said. “Ghana is among the best in Africa, and we are proud of the strides we’ve made in delivering credible, high-quality elections.”