Vote for African Union chairman deadlocked

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ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Jan. 30 (UPI) -- A vote to select a new chairman of the African Union Commission ended in a deadlock Monday after three rounds of voting.

The vote will be deferred until the African Union summit in July, with Deputy Chairman Erastus Mwencha of Kenya filling the position until then, the BBC reported.

Incumbent Jean Ping of Gabon and South Africa's Home Affairs Minister Nkosazana Dlamini Zuma are vying for the post.

Ping has led the African Union Commission since 2008 and is seeking a second term. Zuma, the former wife of South African President Jacob Zuma, is trying to become the first female leader of the bloc's executive council.

Delegates were conducting a two-day meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, at the new $200 million AU headquarters, which officially opened Saturday.