Why AU delayed election of new chair

Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, the African Union Commission Chairperson, her deputy and eight commissioners, yesterday, had their terms in office extended by six months after the African Union summit postponed election of new officials. Despite the elections taking place as planned, the African Union assembly of Heads of State was forced to push the elections to January next year after all contenders failed to garner the required two thirds majority. This year’s contenders for the position were; Dr Specioza Wandira Kazibwe of Uganda, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi from Botswana, and Agapito Mba Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea. The three candidates are largely seen as representatives of their respective regions. Dr Kazibwe from Uganda was the first to pull out of the race after garnering the least votes following the first round of voting. In the second round which pitted Dr Moitoi of Botswana and Mokuy of Equatorial Guinea, none of the two candidates polled the required minimum to emerge winner. Though Dr Moitoi garnered 23 votes, it was way below the required two thirds majority; 36. At least 28 countries abstained from the second round of voting, citing wanting qualifications among the two candidates. President Idris Deby Itno the current African Union Chairperson said that since none of the candidates had managed the required two thirds majority the summit had unanimously agreed to push the elections to January 2017, during the next summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. He cited abstinence from voting as huge cause of the outcome of yesterday’s election. “We will be guided by rules and regulations of the Union and accordingly move the elections to January next year. The Heads of State decided to open up the contest to more candidates in addition to the three candidates and hopefully someone will get the required majority.” He added that the six months period would give candidates and regions adequate time to prepare for the elections. The election delay does not come as a surprise to most as the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS) had written to the African Union Commission calling for postponement of the exercise on the grounds that none of the candidates was qualified enough for the position. Some members of the West African bloc had threatened to boycott the elections if the AU went ahead with them. By abstaining from voting, the countries denied candidates the required two thirds majority. Commenting on the development, Dlamini-Zuma said together with her deputy and the commissioners, they had been asked by the Heads of State to return to work till January. Impact of the delay Experts say the decision to postpone the elections will not in any way affect the affairs of the commission. Smail Chergui the commissioner of Peace and Security said the interim arrangements would not in any way affect the commission’s affairs. Speaking to The New Times, Chergui described the outcome as a characteristic of democracy. “It will not have any negative impact to the functioning of the commission, its agenda or its work,” he said. Morocco’s return to AU Meanwhile, the anticipated return of Morocco to the African Union also did not happen after the country failed to make a formal request to be readmitted to the union. Chergui told The New Times that though there were speculations that Morocco would be readmitted into the Union, the North African country did not make any formal request to the effect. The Northern Africa country withdrew from the AU predecessor the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1981 over the admission of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) as a full member of the body. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Why AU delayed election of new chair