Djibouti MPs vote to lift presidential age limit, strengthening Ismail’s hold on power
The constitutional amendment, adopted during a special parliamentary session, eliminates a clause that barred candidates over 75 from contesting the presidency.
Djibouti’s Parliament on Sunday unanimously voted to remove the presidential age limit, paving the way for 77-year-old President Ismail Omar Guelleh to extend his more than two-decade rule by running for a sixth term in 2026.
The constitutional amendment, adopted during a special parliamentary session, eliminates a clause that barred candidates over 75 from contesting the presidency.
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Reports indicate that all 65 MPs present backed the proposal, which now awaits the president’s assent. Guelleh can either sign it into law or call for a national referendum. If approved, lawmakers are expected to reconvene on November 2 for a final confirmation vote.
Parliament Speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita defended the change, saying it was necessary to preserve stability in the small Horn of Africa nation and enjoyed broad public backing.
“I think more than 80 per cent of the population supports this,” he said, according to AFP.
Guelleh, who has led Djibouti since 1999, has yet to announce whether he will seek another term. In an interview earlier this year, he suggested that his decision would depend on what he believes is best for the country, fueling speculation that he plans to stay in power.
“All I can tell you is that I love my country too much to embark on an irresponsible adventure and be the cause of divisions,” he told The Africa Report.
Djibouti’s strategic position at the mouth of the Red Sea has made it a key hub for international military powers, hosting bases for the United States, France, and China. Despite its population of just over one million, the nation commands outsized influence due to its control over access to one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
A close ally of the late founding president Hassan Gouled Aptidon, Guelleh rose through the ranks as his chief of staff before succeeding him in 1999. His ruling coalition, the Union for the Presidential Majority, dominates parliament and has helped him maintain a tight grip on the political landscape.
In the most recent presidential election, held in 2021, Guelleh secured more than 97 per cent of the vote.
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