Ghana’s Nominee Misses Out On Deputy AU Chairperson Seat
Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, Ghana’s nominee for the position of deputy chairperson seat at the African Union Commission (AUC) lost her bid to the Rwandan candidate, Monique Nsansabangwa.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration campaigned to get the one-time ambassador and permanent representative of Ghana to the United Nations to occupy the second topmost diplomatic seat in Africa.
The position prior to yesterday was held by a Ghanaian diplomat and one-time secretary to former president John Dramani Mahama, Kwesi Quartey.
African leaders attending the 34th Heads of State summit voted to elect leadership of the continental bloc. The incumbent AUC chairperson Chad’s Moussa Faki Mahamat was re-elected for a second and final term.
Ghana’s failed candidate had also previously served as Minister and Head of Chancery at the Ghana Embassy in Washington DC.
The Deputy Chairperson of the AUC assists the Chairperson in the execution of his or her functions to ensure the smooth running of the Commission and is in charge of administration and finance. The Deputy acts as the Chairperson in his or her absence.
The Deputy Chairperson is elected by the Assembly for a four-year term, renewable once. The election is by secret ballot and a two-thirds majority of the Member States eligible to vote.
The Deputy must not be from the same region as the Chairperson of the Commission. Elections and terms are governed by the AU Assembly Rules of Procedure and the Commission Statutes.
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