Youssouf secured 33 votes in the final round, clinching the seat for the next four years. His victory comes after a challenging multi-round election in which former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga was eliminated after failing to gather enough votes.
Raila, who had campaigned vigorously with the support of various African leaders, including Kenya's President William Ruto, led the contest for several rounds. However, after a series of narrow losses in each round, he was ultimately eliminated in the sixth round.
Youssouf, who had steadily gained support throughout the voting, sailed through to the final round where he secured the necessary two-thirds majority required to win the election.
Raila's elimination marked the end of Kenya's bid for the continental position. His campaign had garnered support from at least 21 countries, but it wasn't enough to overcome Youssouf's consistent lead.
Madagascar's Richard Randriamandrato was eliminated earlier in the race, leaving Youssouf and Raila to battle it out. Youssouf's victory marks a significant milestone for Djibouti, as he becomes the seventh person to hold the AUC chairperson role since its establishment in 2002.
He succeeds Moussa Faki, who served two terms. Youssouf's term will span four years, with the possibility of re-election for one additional term.
How the vote was conducted
The election for the AUC chairperson took place over several rounds of voting, with candidates needing a two-thirds majority of votes, equivalent to 33 votes, to win the seat.
In the first round, Raila led with 20 votes, Youssouf received 18, and Randriamandrato had 10. One nation abstained.
Round two saw Raila garner 22 votes, Youssouf 19, and Randriamandrato 7 with each of the candidates settling for 20, 23 and 5 votes respectively. One nation still abstained.
On the fourth round, Youssouf maintained the lead with 25 votes, while Raila trailed with 21 votes. There were two spoiled votes and one abstention.
In round five of the vote, Youssouf gained one more vote, totaling 26, while Raila remained with 21 votes. Two abstentions were recorded.
Youssouf once again led in the sixth round with 26 votes, and Raila had 22 votes, with one nation abstaining. At this stage, Raila was dropped from the race. On the final round, Youssouf proceeded alone and secured the necessary 33 votes to win the chairperson position.
The election saw 49 member states participate, with six other countries suspended. The AUC chairperson is elected by member states, excluding countries under military rule. The election rules stipulate that a candidate must garner a two-thirds majority of the votes cast to win.
Youssouf will now lead the AUC for a four-year term, with the opportunity to serve a second term depending on the outcome of the next election cycle.
His victory reflects the African Union's rotational system, with Eastern Africa presenting a candidate this time, while the Northern region nominated a deputy chairperson.
Sam K Nkurunziza
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/djibouti-s-youssouf-elected-african-union-commission-chairperson
