Dr. Kazibwe a former Vice-President was among the 3 candidates who had spent several weeks canvassing for votes from other African members.

The highly anticipated elections of a new chairperson to head the AU Commission has hit a snug after none of the aspiring candidates contesting for the position garnered the required majority votes in the initial stages of voting that took place in the Rwanda capital Kigali, Monday 18 July,2016.

Uganda’s Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe who is also a former Vice-President, Botswana’s former Foreign Minister Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi and Equatorial Guinea’s former Foreign Minister Agapito Mba Mokuy had each hoped to replace South Africa’s Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma who is stepping down after fours of steering the African founded body.

Uganda’s Kazibwe is said to have got the least of the votes with 23 out of 53 voting in favour of Botswana’s Pelonomi Benson
Reports from Kigali indicate that after three rounds of voting, none of the three candidates could secure the required two-thirds majority for the top job.

According to Rule 42 of the rules of procedure, the deputy chairperson takes responsibility in case of suspension of elections.

Following Monday’s unsuccessful process, the new Commission chair will be elected at the next summit in January next year in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa.

Earlier, some member states had proposed that the elections be pushed to January with some members especially from the west African countries arguing that none of the 3 candidates meets to required qualification to clinch the job.

President Idris Derby of Chad, who is the chairperson of the AU, presented the matter of postponement which he said had come from some member states. But after discussion, he said rules must be followed, not bent.

Dlamini-Zuma, who is stepping down from the chair, is the ex-wife of South African president Jacob Zuma.

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Dr. Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe

According to Kazibwe, to be effective and to have impact, one must do research regardless of whether you are a man or woman but mostly challenged women legislators whom she says are disadvantaged.

Kazibwe who is also the presidential advisor on population matters also raised a concern where she stated that every time a woman politician raises through the ranks, she is branded a prostitute.

She said that in Uganda, many top women politicians’ whenever they are promoted, some people claim that they get those promotions out of sexual relationships with the appointing authority while others when they excel in exams they claim that they slept with the lecturers.

She cited an example when she recently went for her masters in surgery but when she performed well, the male course mates said she had slept with the professors.

Kazibwe says such attitudes are aimed at weakening and discouraging women from participating in national leadership and should be ignored by women who want to succeed.

By Isaac Senabulya

The post Dr. Specioza Wandira Kazibwe advises Women Parliamentarians on effective debate first appeared on Uganda Multimedia News & Information.