Addis Ababa — The African Union (AU) Commission is expected to approve the appointment of the new Chairperson and Commissioners at the next summit of Heads of State and government scheduled to be held in Addis Ababa in January next year, sources disclosed to The Daily Monitor.

According to the constitutive Act of the African Union, the chairperson and the eight commissioners are elected for a four-year term which expired in July this year.

Election of the new Chairperson and members of the AU commission was, among others, an agenda set for the leaders for the 9th ordinary council 1-3 July 2007, Accra, Ghana.

But based on the recommendation by the executive council for the postponement of the election, the assembly was unanimously decided that the matter be considered at the next Summit of Heads of State and government in January next year.

"The Assembly approves the recommendation of the Executive Council on the postponement of the elections and decides to defer the election of the members of the commission to the fourth coming sessions of the political organs scheduled for January 2008," a copy of the declaration of the Ghana summit seen by The Daily Monitor reads.

The summit also decided that the deadline for submission of additional candidature for chairperson, deputy chairperson and commissioners shall be 13, October 2007.

This, according to the sources, has already been finalized accordingly.

According to the sources, the much-acclaimed AU Commission Chairperson Professor Alpha Oumr Konare has made it official that he will not seek a second term, despite recommendations by some leaders and heads of regional and international organizations.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, on a recent occasion, suggested that Konare remain in his post for the next term, saying "There seems to be no other person in Africa other than Konare for the position." But Konare reportedly insisted that he would like to see others get the chance to run the Pan African body.

Former Malian President Alpha Oumar Konare is a historian and a social anthropologist by profession.

Diplomats say given his excellent personal and professional track record, it will not be easy for the General Assembly to find some one to replace Konare.

As it was a practice member states nominate a candidate for the AU chairpersonship to be approved by the summit of heads of state and government.

Apart from these nominations by individual states, nominations from the five political regions are also considered to ensure regional balance.

One of the candidates to replace Konare is Zambian INONGE MBIKUSITA LEWANIKA, who is her country's ambassador to the United States.

In her bid for the AU Chairpersonship, Ambassador LEWANIKA is here, accompanied by former Zambian President Kenneth Kaunda.

The state television reported on Thursday that, in her meeting with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi late on Thursday, the Zambain ambassador has formally requested the Ethiopian government for an endorsement.

Given that Addis Ababa is the city of the African Union, Ethiopia's endorsement will be crucial in the bid for the position.

Leaving the nomination of chairpersons position aside, the AU has also to elect eight commissioners, which according to the diplomats will not be an easy job, either.

According to the AU's organizational structure, there are eight commissions, set up under the Executive Council Konare heads.

The Daily Monitor's sources say there is a tacit agreement among the AU Heads of State and government that Konare must stay, for a year, at least.