Just two days ahead of the eagerly awaited elections for the African Union Commission Chairperson, reports have surfaced suggesting that Djibouti’s Foreign Minister, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, has withdrawn from the contest.
Youssouf himself noted that Arab media are circulating claims of his withdrawal. He is seen as the primary competitor to Kenya’s candidate, Raila Odinga.
Nevertheless, Youssouf refuted these media claims in a statement on X late Wednesday, affirming his continued candidacy.
“Some Arab media outlets reported incorrect news about my withdrawal from the race for Chairperson of the African Union Commission; I confirm here that I am still competing,” he stated.
The reports came out following a brief meeting in Addis Ababa between Yousouf and Musalia Mudavadi, the Cabinet Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Mudavdi informed Citizen TV that he had a brief meeting and conversation with Yousouf and took a photo with him.
Youssouf has now been compelled to clarify reports of his withdrawal for the second time. Youssouf found himself in a comparable situation three weeks ago when social media reports suggested he had exited the race in support of Raila.
However, just as with the reports that came out today, this statement was also incorrect. The reports were denied by Youssouf, who stated that he is still in the race.
The African Union did not receive a withdrawal letter from any of the candidates, according to the global outlet AFP. at the same time, Youssouf verified that he is still in the competition.
The three contenders for the AU’s top position are Youssouf, Raila, and Richard Randriamandrato, who is Madagascar’s former Foreign Minister.
As the elections were set for Saturday, February 15, Raila and Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi made urgent efforts to rally support for Kenya.
Raila concluded his campaign with a meeting with Burudi President Évariste Ndayishimiye, while Mudavadi met Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita in Addis Ababa during a gathering of African foreign affairs ministers.
Morocco is one of the countries that contributed to Kenya’s loss in 2017.
The Assembly of Heads of State and Government organizes the election for the AUC Chairperson via a secret ballot that necessitates a two-thirds majority from eligible member states.
The election process starts with all candidates listed on the ballot, and voting goes on until one achieves the required majority. Should no candidate reach this threshold after three rounds, the next ballot will consist only of the two candidates who received the most vote.
If after three more ballots neither candidate has achieved the necessary majority, the one with fewer votes will withdraw. Should the last candidate not achieve a two-thirds majority, the election is put on hold and the Deputy Chairperson takes on the role temporarily until new elections occur.
As per the AU’s principle of regional rotation, the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson must come from different regions.
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