Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – The highly anticipated African Union Commission (AUC) elections are taking place today during the 38th AU Summit in Addis Ababa. The race for the chairmanship has drawn significant attention, with key candidates Raila Odinga (Kenya), Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti), and Richard Randriamandrato (Madagascar) vying for the top seat.
To secure victory, a candidate must obtain at least 33 votes from the 48 participating member states. The election, conducted via secret ballot, may extend to three rounds if no candidate meets the threshold in the first round. If the deadlock continues, the lowest-scoring candidate will be eliminated, and voting will proceed between the top two contenders. Should neither candidate secure the required majority, the election will be suspended, with the deputy chairperson assuming interim leadership.
The election process prioritizes regional balance, with the Eastern region nominating candidates for the chairpersonship, while the Northern region has put forward contenders for the deputy chairperson role. Notably, the chairperson and deputy cannot come from the same region, ensuring diverse leadership.
The voting will begin with the chairperson’s election, followed by the selection of the deputy chairperson. The AU Assembly will then appoint commissioners elected by the AU Executive Council. The stakes are high, especially given the absence of seven suspended nations—Burkina Faso, Chad, Gabon, Guinea, Mali, Sudan, and Niger—due to governance issues.
As voting unfolds, the AU and its member states keenly await the outcome, which will shape the continent’s leadership and policy direction for the next four years.