AU Commission set to elect chairperson, deputy on February 15-16

The African Union (AU) has announced that the election and appointment of the AU Commission Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson will take place on February 15-16.

The highly anticipated process will see three candidates vying for the top leadership position after the opening ceremony of the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of AU Heads of State.

Kenya’s former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Mahamoud Ali Youssouf, and Madagascar’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs Richard Randriamandrato are the contenders for the chairperson role.

For the Deputy Chairperson position, six candidates are in the running, including Salah Francis and Selma Malika from Algeria, Mohamed Ahmed Fathi and Hanan Morsy from Egypt, Najat M. Elhajjaji from Libya, and Latifa Akharbach from Morocco.

There will be two phases to the elections. From February 12-13, the AU Executive Council, comprising foreign ministers from member states, will elect and appoint the commissioners who will oversee various portfolios within the AU Commission.

This will set the stage for the second phase, during which the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, the AU's supreme decision-making body, will elect the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson during their February 15-16 session.

The voting process is governed by strict rules to ensure fairness and consensus. To win, a candidate must secure a two-thirds majority. Candidates may face elimination after three rounds of voting if they fail to secure the majority.

Should no candidate secure the necessary majority after three rounds, only the two candidates with the highest votes will be eligible for further voting. The candidate with fewer votes will be withdrawn, and voting will proceed.

In cases where only one candidate remains but still fails to achieve the required two-thirds majority, the chairperson is mandated to suspend the election.

If the vote is postponed, it could add several months to the term of incumbent Moussa Faki Mahamat, which is due to end in February this year.

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