Election of Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson

(Press Release) - Gabonese Foreign Affairs Minister, Jean Ping, has been elected as the new Chairperson of the African Union Commission (AUC). The election took place today, Friday 1^st February 2008, during the 10^th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Mr. Jean Ping was elected with a two thirds majority vote of the Assembly in conformity with the African Union rules of procedure in matters of elections for a four-year mandate at the helm of the Au Commission. He will be replacing the outgoing Chairperson of the Commission, Professor Alpha Oumar Konaré, from the Republic of Mali, who has been at the head of the African Union Commission from September 2003 up to date. (See biography of H.E. Jean Ping on the AU website: http://www.africa-union.org/).

On another note, Kenyan born Mr. Erastus Mwencha was elected as the Deputy Chairperson of the African of the African Union commission to replace Mr. Patrick Mazimhaka, from the Republic of Rwanda.

Mr. Mwencha is currently the Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). (See the complete biography of Mr. Mwencha on the AU website: http://www.africa-union.org/).

The elections were chaired by the newly elected Chairperson of the African Union (AU), who is also president of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete. (See biography of President Jakaya Kikwete on the AU website: http://www.africa-union.org/).

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