Raila Odinga’s candidacy for the AUC Chairperson is jeopardized as 16 SADC nations back Madagascar’s Richard Randriamandrato as their sole candidate. A letter from SADC’s Executive Secretary encourages member states to unite in support. The election requires a two-thirds majority vote at the African Union’s summit, where leaders will cast their votes soon.
Kenya’s Raila Odinga faces potential setbacks in his bid for the Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC) due to a formal request from Madagascar for support from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries. This development comes as SADC’s Executive Secretary, Elias Magosi, confirmed Richard Randriamandrato as the only candidate representing the SADC region, which could diminish Odinga’s chances against his rivals, Mahamoud Ali Youssouf from Djibouti and Randriamandrato himself.
In a letter dated February 12, Magosi notified SADC member states about Madagascar’s request. He stressed that Randriamandrato is the singular nominee for the Chairperson position and that time constraints do not warrant an Extraordinary Council of Ministers meeting to discuss the bid. Instead, a simple letter from the secretariat would suffice to rally support for Randriamandrato’s candidacy.
Magosi encouraged all SADC countries to back Randriamandrato, emphasizing the importance of regional unity in this election. The SADC’s 16 member nations include Angola, Botswana, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
As the African Union’s 38th Ordinary Summit convenes, leaders, including Kenyan President William Ruto, will participate in the elections for the next AUC Chairperson. The election process involves a secret ballot requiring a two-thirds majority vote, which equals at least 33 out of 55 member states for a candidate to be deemed elected.
The support for Randriamandrato from SADC member nations poses a significant challenge to Raila Odinga’s bid for leadership of the African Union Commission. Given the urgency of the election process and the endorsement from SADC, Odinga’s prospects may be jeopardized as he contends with formidable rivals. This scenario underlines the critical influence of regional dynamics in international elections, particularly within the context of the African Union’s governance structure.
Original Source: www.citizen.digital
