Election into the top positions of the AU Commission is expected to dominate proceedings at the next AU Summit.
African Heads of State and Government would from January 29 to 30, meet in Addis Ababa for their biennial Summit.
However, during the two-day meeting, the election of the Chairperson of the Commission, deputy and eight Commissioners will take place to head the various departments.
Gabon’s Dr Jean Ping, who is the current Chairperson of the Commission, will slug it out withNkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, South Africa’s minister for Home Affairs for the top position.
However, the current holder of the post of Deputy Chairperson of the Commission, Mr Erastus Mwencha, from Kenya was returned unopposed.
A total of 25 candidates are vying for the posts of the eight Commissioners of the Commission with three of them seeking re-election.
Those seeking re-election include Ramtane Lamamra for Peace and Security, Prof Jean-Pierre Ezin for Human Resources, Science and Technology, and Dr. Elham Ibrahim, for Infrastructure and Energy.
According to the Summit timetable released by the Communications and Information Department, the elections will hold on Jan 29
Also during the Summit the leaders will elect 10 new members of the Peace and Security Council (PSC) for a two-year term.
The Summit would also elect a Head of State from West Africa sub-region to assume the rotating Chairmanship of the Union for 2012.