As the race for the African Union Commission Chairmanship enters the home stretch, all focus is on the three candidates Kenya's former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Djibouti’s Mahmoud Ali Youssouf and Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato.
It's all systems go as African Heads of State and Government prepare to cast their ballot on Saturday, February 15 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
However, despite assurances that the elections will proceed smoothly, there is a likelihood that the elections could be suspended because of circumstances the AU has foreseen and provided direction.
Typically the voting process for Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson and Commissioners, continues until one of the candidates obtains the two-thirds majority required. In most cases, the cap is set at three ballots.
Suspension of the elections can occur in two scenarios and the sitting AUC Chairperson is the sole individual who can suspend the elections in the event the scenarios arise.
Where there are only two candidates initially and neither candidate obtains the majority required, the candidate with fewer votes is withdrawn and the remaining candidate proceeds to the next round. If the remaining candidate fails to obtain the two-thirds majority required in that round, the Chairperson is required to suspend the election.
Where there is only one candidate initially and he or she fails to obtain the two-thirds majority required after the ‘third ballot’, the Chairperson is required to suspend the election.
However, when the elections are suspended, the Chairperson can not take over as his/her term would have already expired. Consequently, in the event the AUC Chair election is suspended, the Deputy Chairperson of the Commission takes over the Chairmanship of the Commission on an interim basis until new elections are held.
If the same impasse occurs concerning the Deputy Chairperson, the most senior Commissioner by length of tenure, or by age where length of tenure is the same, is designated to act as the Deputy Chairperson until new elections are held.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission is the Chief Executive Officer, legal representative of the AU and the Commission’s Chief Accounting Officer.
The Chairperson of the Commission is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. The outgoing chair is Chad’s Moussa Faki. He once served as the Prime Minister of Chad.
The Chairperson’s functions, include overall responsibility for the Commission’s administration and finances, promoting and popularising the AU’s objectives and enhancing its performance. Other functions are consulting and coordinating with key stakeholders like Member States, development partners, and Regional Economic Communities (RECs), appointing and managing Commission staff and acting as a depository for all AU and OAU treaties and legal instruments.
