Countdown to AUC Elections
The election preparations for the African Union (AU) Commission Chairperson are in the homestretch with the nominees now on their final charm offensive to woo supporters.
The much-anticipated election is scheduled for February 15 and 16, 2025, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Six commissioners will be elected on February 12–13 as part of a larger set of elections for important AU leadership positions.
Kenya’s nominee, Raila Odinga, will compete against Richard Randriamandrato of Madagascar and Mahmoud Ali Youssouf of Djibouti.
In a televised discussion on December 13, 2024, the three faced off against one another. During the debate, each of them took the occasion to lay out their plans for leading Africa's transformation through the fulfillment of Agenda 2063 and the AU Mandate. The race is to succeed Moussa Faki from Chad, whose term comes to an end.
The election process is held by secret ballot, and the procedure is intended to be fair and transparent. Each African Union member state has one vote.
There are three rounds of voting to choose the AU Commission's chairperson and deputy chairperson. Following the first round, voting proceeds through a second and third ballot if no candidate receives the necessary two-thirds majority. Let's say the first ballot results in no candidate receiving the necessary majority. Therefore, the lower-ranked contender is withdrawn, and the two candidates with the most votes advance to the next round.
The process is halted if, unusually, only one candidate is left after the third ballot and fails to secure the necessary two-thirds majority. The current chairman may suspend the election in such circumstances, and a new voting round will be set.
However, if there is only one candidate and, after the third ballot, they are unable to secure the required majority, the election is likewise halted.
In the event of a suspension, the Deputy Chairperson takes over the leadership on an interim basis until the election can be rescheduled. Similarly, if the impasse involves the Deputy Chairperson, the most senior commissioner, based on tenure or age, will assume the role temporarily.
Former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has purportedly received backing from at least 28 nations; however, he has only had the public endorsement of 19 heads of state.
Notably, six nations—Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sudan, Niger, and Gabon—will not go to the polls because of sanctions put in place after political upheavals and coups.
In order for a candidate to win this election, 32 of the 48 AU member states must back them.
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Tags: Moussa Faki Mahamat Raila Odinga AU Election
