The election of new African Union Commission chairperson will proceed as planned at the ongoing summit in Kigali, despite calls by a section of members for postponement, Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo has said.  

Fifteen-member Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) had written to the African Union Commission requesting for the postponement of elections, arguing that none of the three candidates in the race has the required qualifications.

Mushikiwabo confirmed that indeed ECOWAS had sent a letter calling for the postponement but added that the ultimate decision would be made by the heads of state.

 "ECOWAS indeed sent a letter to the chairperson requesting the postponement of the elections. That will have to be discusses by the Heads of state during the summit.”

The foreign affairs minister however said that the entire ECOWAS bloc was unlikely to back the calls for postponement, adding that a majority of commissioners’ term was ending.

"I am not sure that the entire bloc of ECOWAS is going to ask for postponement. The commission of the African Union has six out of eight commissioners whose term ends now and we need leadership,” Mushikiwabo said.

 "There is no rule that at this point just a few days to the Heads of state summit such a request can stop the elections. It will be up to the Heads of state but my belief is that elections will be on and we are ready for them.”

According to Kenyan Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed, postponing the elections at this point would be unfair for candidates who had already gone through the nomination and vetting process.

"They have invested their time and resources campaigning and they definitely deserve a chance. Let’s give them a chance,” she told The New Times.

She said that unlike ECOWAS, the EAC did not have a problem with the qualification of the candidates.

Early on Thursday morning, East African countries held a breakfast meeting with one of the candidates Dr. Specioza Naigaga Wandira Kazibwe of Uganda whom they all pledged to support.

The meeting was attended by foreign affairs ministers from the Eastern African region, including Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Other candidates for the position are Botswana’s minister of foreign affairs, Dr. Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi, who represents the Southern African bloc and Agapito Mba Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea representing the central African region.

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