The African Union (AU) has said that the nomination process for the next Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and eight Commissioners of the AU Commission has been re-opened.

The AU Commission has officially informed all member states, providing detailed timeframes and deadlines for the submission of candidatures for the ten positions that are open, said a statement from the pan-African bloc on Wednesday.

The elections are scheduled to be held during the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, scheduled for 30-31 January, 2017, at the AU Headquarters in Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, according to the statement.

The statement said that the election of the members of the AU Commission held in Kigali, Rwanda in July this year were suspended since none of the three contenders for the position of the Chairperson of the Commission obtained the required two-thirds majority, after seven rounds of voting.

Re-opening the process allows for both the former candidates, as well as new candidates to run for any of the ten positions, it said. 

Xinhua