ZAMBIA’S AFRICAN UNION CHAIRPERSON CAMPAIGN BOOSTED.

By Ben Kangwa in Washington DC

 Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia will play host to the African Union (AU) Summit of the Heads of State and Government from January 31st to February 2nd, 2008. The theme for this year’s meeting is “Industrial Development of Africa.”

The summit will be preceded by the Permanent Representatives Committee (PRC) meeting from January 25-26th and the Executive Council (EC) meeting from January 28-29th.

Issues to be discussed at the summit will include the Consideration of the Reports of the Executive Council on the Audit of the Union and the Report of the Ministerial Committee on the Union Government.

 The Report of the Chairperson of NEPAD Heads of State and Government Implementation Committee, the AIDS Watch Africa  (AWA) Report , the Report on the state of Peace and Security in Africa and the adoption of the  2008 Budget are also be discussed.

The item that is likely to attract a lot of interest amongst member states, however, will be the election of the successor of the current Chairperson of the African Union, former Malian President Oumar Alpha Konare who has declined to vie for a second term of office despite the existence of such a provision in the Statutes of the African Union. He took up that office in 2003 following his election at the Heads of State and Government Summit held in Maputo, Mozambique in July of the same year.

Also to be elected at this forum will be the Deputy Chairperson and eight Commissioners who head the following portfolios: Peace and Security, Political Affairs, Infrastructure and Energy, Social Affairs, Human Resources, Science and Technology, Trade and Industry, Rural Economy and Agriculture and finally Economic Affairs.

The term of office of the members of the Commission is four years. The members may be eligible to compete for re-election for another term of four years.

The election of the AU Chairperson and members of the Commission was an agenda item set for leaders in Accra, Ghana in July last year following the recommendation made by the Executive Council that the “election of the AU Secretariat be postponed and the matter be considered at the Heads of State and Government Summit that takes place in Addis Ababa this month-end.

By mid last year, the list of the candidates for the election of Chairperson had been finalized and comprised   four men and two women.  Sierra Leone  is floating  former Vice President Dr. Abdulai  Conteh,   politician and lawyer  who has  served  his country as  Foreign Affairs Minister,  Minister of Finance,  Minister of Justice and Attorney General .  At present he is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Belize.

Swaziland’s candidate is former Prime Minister Barnabas Sibusiso Dlamini. He has been advisor to King Mswati the III (Third) since 2003. Mr. Dlamini has also served as Swaziland’s Finance Minister and once worked as Executive Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Mauritius has floated Cassam Uteem, a former President of that country who holds the record as the longest serving President of Mauritius, having served from 1992 to 2002.

Gabon has come up with   Jean Ping, that country’s Deputy Prime Minister. He is one of the most powerful figures in Gabon and is one of President Bongo’s closest and longest serving Ministers.  He has worked for UNESCO as an international civil servant.  He has also been Gabon’s Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, which position he served until 1984 before he became Director of the Civil Cabinet of President Omar Bongo.  Mr. Ping has also held several Ministerial portfolios such as Foreign Affairs, Government Spokesperson, Information, Posts and Telecommunications. Other portfolios include that of Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Finance, Economy, Budget and Privatisation.

From Burundi is Antoinette Batumubwira who has been that country’s Foreign Affairs Minister since 2002. She has worked and lived in Finland before.

Zambia is fielding the only other female candidate. One of its most prominent figures in the name of Dr. Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika who is currently Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extra-ordinary to the United States of America.  Prior to this appointment she served as President Mwanawasa’s Special Envoy between 2201 and 2002.

Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika has a glowing record in that not only has she an outstanding academic record as a holder of various Degrees including a Doctorate, but she also has wide experience in the international arena.  She has held several high ranking international positions such as United Nations Children’s Educational Fund Regional Advisor as well as Senior Programme Officer for Eastern and Southern Africa and for West and Central Africa from 1980 to 1990. She has worked in 42 countries and speaks French and Swahili.

She is no stranger to politics having once been elected as Member of Parliament and sat on various parliamentary committees such as those responsible for Foreign Affairs, Education, Science and Technology, Children, Youth and Women.  In addition she has been an Executive Member of the Forum for Parliamentarians for Peace in Eastern and Southern Africa, First Chairperson of the Zambia All Party Parliamentarians for Population and Development.

Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika has worked for various non-governmental organizations and served as a community activist.  As a result of her rich background, she once held the position of President of the African Women Peace Networks and was elected Member of the African Women’s Committee on Peace and Development of the African Union.

Apart from being one of the five members who addressed the UN Security Council which resulted in the adoption of UN Resolution 1325: Women, Peace and Security, Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika has also contributed to the Lobby for the adoption of the 50-50 gender balance of the African Union’s highest decision making organ as well as the Lobby that led to the adoption of the African Union (Organisation of African Unity) Charter of the African Child.

In the field of education, Ambassador-Lewanika has contributed as Professor of Education and Teacher Training at the University of Zambia and as a lecturer at the Evelyn Hone College in Lusaka.

Given her outstanding and impressive credentials, Zambia late last year quickly endorsed Dr. Mbikusita-Lewanika’s candidature for the Africa Union Commission top most job and quickly formed a campaign team   headed by the Republican Vice President, Rupiah Banda.

At the prestigious launch of the campaign at the Pamodzi Taj Hotel, last September, Mr. Banda noted that Southern Africa had never produced a candidate for the top job of the continental body. He particularly called on the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) to support Dr. Mbikusita –Lewanika.

“I wish to make an appeal for support to all our true friends in the SADC region as well as in Central, Eastern, Northern and West Africa,” Mr. Banda said.

Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika’s candidature also received a big boost through support from African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) leader for Zambia Graca Machel (who is also wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela).   Graca was among the first women to endorse Inonge- Mbikusita –Lewanika for the position of AU Chairperson saying, “We know her. She is capable and qualified for the job.“

In order to give more momentum to the campaign, the Republican President, Dr. Levy Patrick Mwanawasa appointed Zambia’s First President, Dr. Kenneth David Kaunda as Special Envoy who visited Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya and Algeria in order to seek support for the candidate.

Further, Dr. Mwanawasa through his Special Envoy, Zambia’s Ambassador to Ethiopia Patrick Sinyiza, requested Djibouti President Ismael Omar Guelleh to support the Zambian candidate for the African Union chair.

The other Special Envoy is Zambia’s Ambassador to Libya Mbita Chitala who recently delivered President Mwanawas’s special message to Tunisian President Zine Abedine Ben Ali.

On the home front, Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika’s candidature has received tremendous support from some local NGOs.  Zambia National Women’s Lobby(ZNWL)   Executive Director Rollen Mukanda was   quoted in the local press as saying Dr. Mbikusita-Lewanika was “experienced and qualified for the job” while adding that the Government’s decision had motivated the lobby.

Southern African Centre for Constructive of Resolutions of Disputes (SACCORD) Executive Director, Lee Habasonda  was not to be left out as he said, “Since time in memorial, Zambia has been fighting for such positions It is encouraging that finally the government has made such a good decision.”

Other NGOs that have added their voices to the “cause” include the Justice for Widows and Orphans Project (JWOP), the Network of African Peace Builders of Zambia (NAPBZ).

Support for Dr. Mbikusita-Lewanika has not only come from Zambia, here in Washington DC, the Ambassador has met with well wishers from all walks of life. These range from decision making bodies, the corporate world, church organizations and the civil society.

Two powerful African American NGOs - the African American Unity Caucus (AAUC) and the American and African Business Women’s Alliance (AABWA) have had nothing but high praises for Ambassador Mbikusita-Lewanika. They have stated that with the qualifications and exposure at hand, she would be able to represent Africa on the continental body effectively.

“She is one of the most articulate and influential women Ambassadors in Washington DC. We have no doubt that she can excel to greater heights at the AU,” said Jeannine Scott who is also Senior Vice President of Africare.

The African American Unity Caucus (AAUC) is a non-partisan alliance of committed leaders and organizations of African ancestry focused on challenges and concerns affecting Africa and the African Diaspora while the American and African Business Women’s Alliance (AABWA) is an organization formed by American and African business women which focuses on private sector organizations to train, mentor and promote trade and investment opportunities between the United States of America and African countries. Africans in the Diaspora are the 6th region in the African Union.

In a recent address to the two organizations, Dr. Mbikusita-Lewanika said, “My success as a candidate would represent change that breaks through a glass ceiling of apparent exclusion – a change that re-affirms that indeed all human beings, men and women, are created equal.’

She added that it was time to implement gender equality at all levels that has been preached for years.

She stated that she had been associated with the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) since the 70s and was part of the transition process from the OAU leading to the establishment of the African Union.

“In this and many other ways, I have worked on socio-economic development work with a cross section of Africans, on the continent and the diaspora, she said.

Meanwhile, with a few weeks remaining before the AU Summit, Zambia’s campaign for Ambassador Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika rages on.  Apart from trying to canvas for support from countries in Southern Africa and North Africa, the campaign should now turn towards countries in Central, East and West Africa.   The key lies in convincing other players in the race that Zambia means well for the African Continent.