The competition to replace Mousa Faki as African Union Commission Chairperson is gaining momentum, with four candidates actively campaigning.....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, former Mauritius Foreign Minister Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, and former Madagascar Foreign Minister Richard James Randriamandrato are competing for the position.
The election is slated for February 2025.
How is the AU Commission chairperson elected?
The Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the organization’s highest decision-making body, chooses the AU Commission chairperson.
The Assembly of Heads of State and Government comprises leaders of AU member states eligible to participate in the Union’s activities.
The election is conducted according to Rules 38, 39, and 42 of the Assembly and Executive Council’s procedure.
What is AU Commission chairperson elections procedure?
The election of the AU chairperson follows a detailed process outlined in Rule 42 of the Assembly and Executive Council procedures.
Voting commences with the election of the Commission’s chairperson, followed by the Deputy Chairperson.
The Assembly then appoints the Commissioners selected by the Executive Council, which comprises foreign affairs ministers from AU member states.
The election for the Chairperson of the Commission, or his/her Deputy, continues until one of the candidates obtains the two-thirds majority required.
If no candidate receives the majority vote after three rounds of voting, the next round is restricted to the two (2) candidates who obtained the highest number of votes in the third round.
If none of the two candidates obtains the majority vote after three rounds of voting, the candidate with fewer votes is eliminated.
Where there are only two (2) candidates initially and neither candidate obtains the majority required after the third round, the candidate with fewer votes shall withdraw, and the remaining candidate shall proceed to the next round.
The Chairperson shall suspend the election if the remaining candidate fails to obtain the two-thirds majority required in that round.
Similarly, the Chairperson shall suspend the election if there is only one (1) candidate initially, and he or she fails to obtain the two-thirds majority required after the third round.
The seat for the AUC chairperson is held on a rotational basis among five regions of the continent: the Chairperson shall suspend the election if there is only one (1) candidate initially, and he or she fails to obtain the two-thirds majority required after the third round; Southern, Central, Eastern, Western, and Northern Africa.
In March, the African Union Executive Council unanimously endorsed the Eastern Africa region to produce candidates for the position of the AU Chairperson.
This means only candidates approved by the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps of the Eastern region at the AU would be considered for the post.
The deadline for this passed on August 6.
What happens when AU Chairperson’s election is suspended?
When the election of the chairperson is annulled for the aforementioned reasons, the Commission’s Deputy Chairperson takes over the Chairmanship on an interim basis until new elections are held.
If the standoff involves the Deputy Chairperson, the most senior Commissioner by tenure, or by age if tenure is equal, will be designated to act as Deputy Chairperson until new elections occur.
What is the AU Commission Chairperson term Limit?
Rule 40 of the procedure of the Assembly and Executive Council stipulates that the term of office of the Commission members, including the chairperson, shall be for four years and renewable only once.
The chair was elected in 2016 and is currently in office, serving his final second termc
Are Candidates seeking AUC position vetted?
Yes, candidates for the AUC position are vetted by a team of experts who verify their academic credentials and evaluate their knowledge of Africa’s key issues.
A panel consisting of Burundian scholar Paul Ngarambe, Ethiopian diplomat Konjit SineGiorgis, Ghana’s Patrick Hayford, and South Africa’s Nozipho Joyce Mxakato-Diseko will vet the candidates aiming to replace the current chair.
Will there be a debate for AUC candidates?
Yes. Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet secretary, Musalia Mudavadi, announced in May that AUC candidates will face off in a televised debate in September 2024, six months before the election.
The debate will happen after all the candidates have been vetted and approved by the committee.
Wrapping up
The AU Commission chairperson election is a competitive process held every four years at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The chairperson is elected by Heads of State and governments from eligible member states. Seven countries have been banned from participating in the elections because of coups and political instability.
A candidate must garner at least two-thirds of the vote to be declared a winner. The next AU election is scheduled for February 2025….CLICK HERE FOR MORE ARTICLE>>>
