(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-02-02 09:39

ADDIS ABABA - As Gabon's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Jean Ping carried off the palm in the election of the chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission. Political analysts here say the success for Jean Ping depends upon his great strength in many areas.

They say Ping's strength first of all lies in his long-term experience as a career diplomat. Ping, a son of a Chinese trader and a Gabonese mother, started his career at UNESCO and has served as ambassador in several stations including UNESCO and OPEC. He has been Gabon's foreign minister since 1999. He was chosen to be president of the 59th session of the United Nations General Assembly in 2004.

Gabon's Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Minister Jean Ping talks to the media at the 10th African Union Summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa February 1, 2008. The African Union on Friday elected Ping as the new head of African Union (AU) Commission taking over from Malian Alpha Oumar Konare. [Agencies]

Ping was elected as the new AU Commission chairperson to replace former Malian president Alpha Oumar Konare. He garnered 31 votes while the other two candidates, Inonge Mbikusita-Lewanika, who is Zambia's ambassador to the United States, and Abdulai Osman Conteh, an international jurist from Sierra Leone, gained 17 votes and 1 vote respectively.

As compared with Ping, Lewanika, who is Ping's major rival, is thought to lack much experience in international arena. Up to now, Ping and Lewanika do not match each other in strength, the analysts say.

They say Ping's candidacy is backed by countries of central and west Africa, especially by Nigeria. Nigeria, an influential country in Africa, has historically played a sizable role in the election of the chairperson of the AU Commission.

Moreover, Ping won crucial support from countries of east and north Africa. Leaders of east Africa and the Arabic-speaking countries of north Africa, which were hesitating and even recognized Lewanika, finally voted for Ping.

Meanwhile, Ping also benefited from the good reputation of Gabon's President Omar Bongo, already Africa's longest-serving leader. Bongo, who has ruled the oil-producing central African nation since 1967, is a very prestigious leader in Africa's political arena. Ping is one of Bongo's closest and longest-serving ministers and is one of the most powerful figures in Gabon.

However, the analysts say the road ahead for the newly-elected AU Commission chairperson will not be smooth and there are more and higher hurdles waiting for him than winning victory in the election.

One of the major challenges for Ping, with half-Chinese parentage, is how to restructure the AU Commission, the continental organization's executive and administrative branch. Outgoing AU Commission Chairperson Konare repeatedly called for expanding the power of the commission so that it could take quick response to the continent's political crisis and even armed conflicts.