Essy Quits AU Commission Chairmanship Competition

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, July 10, 2003

Essy Quits AU Commission Chairmanship Competition

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Former Malian president Alpha Oumar Konare becomes the only candidate to run for the chairmanship of the African Union (AU) Commission after Amara Essy, the interim chairman of the Commission, gave up the competition for the post.

In a declaration issued here Tuesday, Essy, 58, who held the position from last July when the AU was launched in South Africa, said he "takes note of this decision with the assurance that it isin compliance with my country's interest and .. with those of my compatriots."

Earlier, the government of Cote d'Ivoire announced to abandon its support to Essy for his reelection of the chairman of the Commission.

Thus, Konare, 57, looked highly likely to be elected chairman of the AU Commission, a key job in the pan-African grouping as it tries to drag the continent out of its cycle of conflicts and poverty.

However, Konare has to wait until the AU Commission officially announced his election on Thursday when the continental organization opened its second summit here.

Actually, the major members of the AU have obvious differences over the candidate of the chairmanship.

The heavyweights like South Africa, Nigeria, Algeria and Mozambique have openly expressed their support to Konare and only Libya backed Essy, hoping that the former Cote d'Ivoire foreign minister would keep the chairmanship.

South African President Thabo Mbeki said in early July that theleader of the AU Commission should be a person "with capacity" dueto the importance and the duties of the position.

Meanwhile, the implementation of the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD), which will be discussed in the summit, needs political and financial support from the West, which also has some impact on the chairmanship competition.

African leaders do not want NEPAD to become flowers in the vasebut an action plan to drag the continent out of poverty and realize prosperity that it has been desiring. They could not be unaware of the environment outside of Africa.

Just as one staff of the AU said that no matter who is to be elected as chairman of the AU Commission, he must ensure that "thehuge passenger liner (AU) that has been recently restored would set sail with a new qualified team to bring the African continent to a bright future."

The heads of state and government of 53 AU members, who will open the second summit here Thursday, will finally decide the chairman of the AU Commission by themselves.

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