Election of new African Union Commission chairperson will go on as scheduled despite recent calls by a section of members for postponement of the exercise, officials said yesterday.

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

Speaking exclusively to The New Times, Prof. Vincent Nmehielle, the director for legal affairs at the African Union, said the letter would not deter the elections as scheduled. 

"For the ECOWAS letter, it is extra to the procedure that I know in terms of the rules of procedure,” he said.

Prof. Nmehielle said all African countries had been involved in the nomination, vetting process and approved the list of nominees for the chairperson position.

Maintaining that the election process would be guided by the existing rules, regulations and statues of the Union, Prof. Nmehielle said there were no plans by the Union to postpone the vote.

"According to the legalities of the elections and the rules of procedure and order of the election and the statutes of the Commission, the process of nomination was concluded by member states and vetted by independent experts who presented their report to the ministers of foreign affairs who met to consider and approve the list,” he said.

If the elections go on as planned, he said, the incoming commission will take office by October.

Secret ballot

The elections are conducted by secret ballot with every country holding one vote. Voting for the chairperson and the deputy chairperson is done by the Heads of State and Government, whereas commissioners are elected by ministers of foreign affairs.

The process requires that the winner garners at least two-thirds of the total votes cast.

Prof. Nmehielle said in the event no candidate has at least two-thirds of the votes after three rounds of voting, the candidate with the least numbers drops out.

"If no one gets two-thirds majority thereafter, the elections may be suspended. Interim arrangements are then put in place before fresh elections are held,” he explained.

"The candidates will be elected based on the votes cast on the floor, if you choose not to vote, you are abstaining and the effects of that will only affect the majority required. Heads of State absent are represented by their delegation.”

Earlier, Foreign Affairs minister Louise Mushikiwabo said the elections would proceed.

"ECOWAS indeed sent a letter to the chairperson requesting the postponement of the elections. That will have to be discussed by the Heads of State during the Summit,” she said.

However, she said the entire ECOWAS bloc was unlikely to back the calls for postponement, adding that majority of commissioners’ term was ending.

"I am not sure that the entire ECOWAS bloc will ask for postponement. The Commission of the African Union has six out of eight commissioners whose term will end soon 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 (to decide) but I believe the elections will proceed as planned.”

‘Posponement unfair’

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,” Mohamed told The New Times.

Yesterday, East African countries held a breakfast meeting with Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe of Uganda, whom they all pledged to support.

The meeting was attended by foreign affairs ministers from the East Africa, including Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

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

editorial@newtimes.co.rw