AU Elections Postponed:

 Churchill Monono, Maurice Tchuente still hopeful

- Initially scheduled for July 2016 in Kigali Rwanda, the election was postponed to January 2017

By Ayukogem Steven Ojong in Yaounde

 Churchill Monono

The elections for the president and commissioners of the African Union AU Commission have been postponed to January 2017. Initially planned to take place in July 2016, the elections were postponed after over 20 African countries abstained from the voting. The countries boycotted because they did not consider the three candidates contesting for the position of President of the commission convincing enough.

                Prior to the election the countries of the ECOWAS block had sent a letter to the AU Commission suggesting that the election be postponed and that the process be left open for new candidates for the position of president of the commission.

                The ECOWAS countries asked for the postponement so that they could have time enough to present a West African candidate for the position of president of the commission in the person of former Senegalese Minister of Foreign Affairs, AbdoulayeBathily, who is presently heading the UN Office for Central Africa. Also a university professor, Mr. Bathily is said to present more solid credentials than all the three candidates that had initially lined up to compete for the AU Presidency.

                Apart from the West Africa candidate, the East African block is also withdrawing their initial candidate, Ugandan-born Mrs. WandiraKazibwe, to replace her with the more competitive and substantive former Tanzanian President JakayaKikweke.

                Notwithstanding the pedigree of the new candidates from East and West Africa, Cameroon is still supporting the Equato-Guinean candidate for the AU Presidency perhaps out of sub-regional solidarity.                                                         Yet, knowledgeable observers say it is unlikely the Equato-Guinean candidate will sail through in January 2017.

                If this happens it will only be comforting for the Cameroonian candidates racing for different commissioner positions. This is because of the 10 available big jobs in the AU Commission including that of President, Vice President and eight Commissioners, only two are open for grabs by each of the five regional blocks.

               

Prof. Maurice Tchuente 

However, latest reports from Kigali indicate that the number of aspiring Cameroonians has dropped to four, down from the initial eight. The candidates include Prof Maurice Tchuente (for the position of Commissioner for Human Resources, Science and Technology); Churchill Ewumbue-Monono (for  Commissioner for Political Affairs); Francois EkokoEkanga (for Rural Economy and Agriculture) and Dr. Mrs. Justine DiffoTchunkam for Social Affairs.

                The candidates that were dropped include Victor Emmanuel Djoumatchoua who was eyeing the Vice Presidency of the Commission; Paul NjukangTasong who wanted the position of Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Emmanuel Edou who aimed for Peace and Security. 

                It should be understood that because the incumbent Commissioner for Trade and Industry is a Chadian woman who is seeking reelection, only one position is left for the other Central African aspirants including the four Cameroonians still in the race.                                                                What’s worse, the incumbency of the Chadian woman only compromises the chances of the lone Cameroonian woman, Mrs Justine Diffo, whose candidature may just be for ambiance. 

                But no one can tell what might happen to the Cameroonian candidates between now and January 2017. Speculations are that the  Cameroonian candidates might reduce further before the elctions are called in January, this because              given President Biya’s unpredictability, he may decide to assign any or all of the candidates to other strategic duties within or out of the country. 

                Yet, we of The Median are comforted by the fact that at least an Anglophone is still a candidate in the race in the person of Churchill Ewumbue-Monono.

                Churchill Monono is an Oxford fellow and a graduate from the Advanced School of Mass Communication ASMAC, Yaounde and the Institute of International Relations IRIC, Yaounde. A career diplomat (Minister Plenipotentiary) Monono is presently serving as technical adviser in the Cabinet of the President of the Republic. He had also served as Minister Counsellor successively in the Cameroon Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Moscow, Russia, and also as one-time permanent secretary of the AU Caucus of Eminent Personalities in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.