Libyan leader seeking second term for AU presidency despite protests

January 28, 2010 (WASHINGTON) – The Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi who is currently the chairperson of the African Union (AU) is lobbying for renewal of his terms in defiance of an unpublished rule of geographical rotation among Africa’s five regions of this position, according to multiple news reports.

According to the BBC, the North African country of Tunisia has now floated a proposal before a heads of state summit next week suggesting that Gaddafi stay on.

A Malawian diplomat told the BCC that his country would not give up its candidature without a fight.

Mozambique’s deputy foreign minister said it was southern Africa’s turn to chair the organization and insisted the rules would be followed.

“Personally I am confident that the candidature of Malawi is going to be endorsed by the whole African Union,” Eduardo Koloma told the BBC’s Network Africa programme.

However, the AU Commission Chairman Jean Ping suggested that it is not against the charter to have Gaddafi reelected says rules governing the selection process are loosely defined.

Ping quoted by Voice of America says the choice of who will take over the AU is solely up to the heads of state.

“They make the rules, and if they want, they can modify them” he said adding that the principle of geographic rotation could be overturned. He further said that the rotation rule has been followed in the past, but whether it would be followed this time, he does not know.

Western diplomats, whose countries finance one-third of the AU budget, say allowing the Libyan strongman to stay on as chairman would hurt the union’s effort to portray itself as a champion of democratic ideals. They say it may also force donors to reconsider their support.

Several leaders of some major African nations are said to oppose Gaddafi’s bid while others take exception to pressure he exerts on his peers to adopt his proposals for the United States of Africa.

Last year Botswanaian senior official accused the Libyan leader of “bullying” in forcing African states to accept his resolution barring member states of cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in apprehending Sudanese president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir who faces an arrest warrant for his alleged role in Darfur crimes.

Gaddafi is believed to have won the backing of several of Africa’s weaker and poorer states, some of which have received Libyan financial aid.

Diplomats and experts on AU procedures say Gaddafi would probably need the support of two-thirds of the heads of state attending the summit to retain the chairmanship. But based on past attendance, it is possible fewer than half of the body’s 53 heads of state will be present at Sunday’s closed-door session.

Gaddafi’s three immediate predecessors as chairman had all been democratically elected heads of state, helping the continental body to rid itself of its old reputation as a club for dictators.

(ST)