Djibouti presidential election: Guelleh moves closer to a sixth term

Polling stations opened in Djibouti on Friday to allow voters to take part in the presidential election.

The incumbent president, candidate of the “People’s Rally for Progress” party, Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, is competing against Mohamed Farah Sammatér from the “Unified Democratic Center” party, the only rival candidate in the race amid the absence of prominent opposition figures.

According to observers, Guelleh is the clear favorite to win a sixth term due to the lack of meaningful competition.

At 78 years old, Guelleh has led the country since 1999. He removed the maximum age limit of 75 for presidential candidates, as well as the two-term limit.

Djibouti, with a population of around one million, enjoys a strategic position overlooking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, of great importance in the Horn of Africa region, in addition to hosting foreign military bases.

At his latest campaign rally on Wednesday, Guelleh expressed confidence in his victory, pointing to the efforts made during his five presidential terms.

His opponent, Sammatér, pledged at a campaign conference days earlier to prioritize strengthening infrastructure and basic services, and to take measures to boost youth employment.

The number of registered voters stands at 256,467, according to the official news agency. The city of Djibouti accounts for the largest share with 162,833 registered voters, and the election is being held across 712 polling stations nationwide.

Unchallenged since 1999

On November 11, Guelleh announced his candidacy for a sixth term, according to a presidential statement.

His candidacy came days after Parliament voted to abolish the constitutional provision setting the maximum age for presidential candidacy at 75, fifteen years after the 2010 constitutional amendment that removed the two-term limit.

Guelleh won the last presidential election, held in April 2021, with more than 97% of the vote. His political coalition holds a dominant position in Parliament.

Before Guelleh, the presidency was held by Hassan Gouled Aptidon, founder of Djibouti’s independence. In 1999, Guelleh succeeded him after serving as his chief of staff for 22 years.

The two main opposition parties, the “Movement for Democratic Renewal and Development” and the “Republican Alliance for Democracy,” have boycotted elections since 2016 in protest against the electoral process.