Djibouti’s Foreign Minister Mahmoud Ali Youssouf has won the closely contested African Union Commission (AUC) Chairperson election, defeating Kenya’s Raila Odinga in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Mr Youssouf secured the required two-thirds majority in the seventh round, receiving 33 votes. Mr Odinga initially led in the first round with 20 votes to Mr Youssouf’s 18, but was gradually overtaken as the voting continued.
In the third round, Mr Youssouf gained a strong lead with 23 votes compared to Mr Odinga’s 20, and he never looked back. By the sixth round, Mr Youssouf had 26 votes, while Mr Odinga had 22 votes, prompting him to drop out of the race.
The election also saw Madagascar’s Richard James Randriamandrato eliminated after the third round, leaving Mr Youssouf and Mr Odinga to continue.
The two contested fiercely, but it was clear that Mr Youssouf had the upper hand, eventually securing the two-thirds majority required to win the seat.
Mr Youssouf’s victory marks the end of Chad’s Moussa Faki’s eight-year tenure as AUC Chairperson.
Breakdown of the results:
Round 1:
– Raila Odinga (Kenya) – 20 votes
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 18 votes
– Richard James Randriamandrato (Madagascar) – 10 votes
– One abstention
Round 2:
– Raila Odinga (Kenya) – 22 votes
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 19 votes
– Richard James Randriamandrato (Madagascar) – 7 votes
– One abstention
Round 3:
– Raila Odinga (Kenya) – 20 votes
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 23 votes
– Richard James Randriamandrato (Madagascar) – 5 votes
– One abstention
– Randriamandrato eliminated
Round 4:
– Raila Odinga (Kenya) – 21 votes
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 25 votes
– One spoiled vote
– One abstention
Round 5:
– Raila Odinga (Kenya) – 21 votes
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 26 votes
– One abstention
Round 6:
– Raila Odinga (Kenya) – 22 votes
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 26 votes
– One abstention
– Raila Odinga drops out
Round 7:
– Mahmoud Ali Youssouf (Djibouti) – 33 votes (required two-thirds majority)
– Youssouf wins the position of AUC Chairperson.
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