Nominations have also been opened for the positions of deputy chairperson and eight commissioners. The African Union Commission (AUC) has officially reopened its nomination process to replace AU chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, whose term ended in July.
Nominations have also been opened for the positions of deputy chairperson and eight commissioners.
The AUC in a statement on Wednesday said it had reopened the nominations process, which would see member states nominate candidates for the 10 positions.
The AUC noted that the reopening of the nominations came after the July elections in Kigali, Rwanda were suspended as “none of the three contenders for the position of the chairperson of the Commission obtained the required two-thirds majoring, after seven rounds of voting.”
The elections for the new AUC committee would be held from January 30 – 31, 2017, during the 28th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of States of Government at the AUC headquarters in Addis Ababa.
“According to the rules of procedure of the Assembly and Executive Council, the statutes of the commission as well as modalities for the election of members of the commission, the candidatures for the posts of the chairperson, deputy chairperson and the commissioners are required to be circulated to member states at least three months before the election,” said the AUC.
Member states have been advised to submit the names of candidates for the commissioners in sealed envelopes to the Office of the Legal Counsel for their respective regions by August 19. The regions should submit their candidates by September 16.
The AUC said that the names of candidates for the chairperson and deputy chairperson should be submitted by September 30.
A ministerial panel would meet to finalise the list by October 7 and the AUC would circulate the list of candidates to all member states on or before October 14, ahead of the January 2017 elections.
UM– USEK.RW
