Win For Raila As Proposed Key Rule For AU Chairperson Post Dropped
A proposal earlier suggested a gender angle, with only female contenders being eligible in the next contest, even though the seat will be rotating to the Eastern Africa region.
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Azimio la Umoja leader, Raila Odinga's bid for the African Union (AU) chairperson position on Thursday, March 14 received a significant boost which smoothened his path to succeed Moussa Faki in February 2025.
A report from the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) seen by Viral Tea indicated that regions should focus just on nominating candidates without gender restrictions.
A proposal earlier suggested a gender angle, with only female contenders being eligible in the next contest, even though the seat will be rotating to the Eastern Africa region.
"The PRC agreed on the non-application of gender rotation in the application of the principle of rotational gender parity. The PRC position aligns with Kenya's interpretation of this principle," read the report in part.
Bird's eye view of the African Union headquarters. /QUARTZ
This means that both Eastern and Northern Africa regions are at liberty to nominate candidates of either gender for the posts of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson respectively in the AUC election 2025.
Furthermore, the PRC had agreed on the Eastern African region being eligible to nominate candidates for the position of chairperson with the deputy post going to the Northern Africa region.
Odinga, who has expressed keen interest in vying for the chairmanship, has garnered support from several regional states, solidifying his standing within the African Union.
"The PRC agreed on Approach 2 option (b), which means that the Eastern Africa region will be eligible to nominate candidates for the position of chairperson while the Northern Africa region will be eligible to nominate candidates for the position of Deputy Chairperson," added the report.
PRC also underscored the importance of intra-regional consultations in determining rotational appointments, departing from the convention of English alphabetical order.
In addressing the allocation of Commissioner’s Portfolios, the committee outlined that the six commissioner posts will be subject to competitive nomination by candidates from the Central, Southern, and Western African regions.
The PRC's recommendations will be incorporated in the Draft Decision to be presented to the Executive Council.
The resolution of the PRC comes at a critical juncture, clarifying the methodological intricacies surrounding the forthcoming elections within the African Union Commission, which were previously mired in uncertainty.
The final decision rests with the Executive Council, which comprises all the foreign ministers of the 55 African member states. The Council is set to convene in Addis Ababa on Friday, March 15 to discuss the report and either approve or disregard it.
The outcome of the crucial meeting will determine the next steps in the election process and ultimately shape the future leadership of the African Union Commission.
Raila has already received significant backing from politicians both from Azimio and Kenya Kwanza, President William Ruto as well as the likes of Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni and former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo for the position.
He also held talks with President Paul Kagame (Rwanda) to secure their support in a bid to consolidate support from all East African Community (EAC) heads of government to enhance his bid for the continental position.
