Djibouti’s parliament voted unanimously on Sunday to abolish the maximum age limit for presidential candidates, previously set at 75 in the constitution — a move that allows current President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, aged 77, to run again in next year’s election.
There is now no longer an upper age limit for the presidency, meaning Guelleh could seek another term in the presidential election scheduled for April 2026 if he chooses to do so.
Until now, the Djiboutian constitution barred anyone over the age of 75 from running for president. But on Sunday, all 65 members of parliament voted in favor of scrapping that restriction, thereby enabling Guelleh — now 77 — to stand again in the upcoming election.
The amendment still requires the president’s own approval before it can be confirmed through another vote expected in early November.
While some objections to the parliamentary decision appeared on social media, it remains difficult to gauge the extent of public opposition to the possibility of Guelleh remaining in power, given the tight restrictions on freedom of expression and the press in the country.
President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh has ruled Djibouti for 26 years, having first assumed office in 1999. Djibouti is a unitary presidential republic where power is heavily concentrated in the hands of the president and is often described as an authoritarian state.
Despite its small size and population, Djibouti holds major international strategic importance due to its location in the Horn of Africa, hosting several foreign military bases, including those of the United States, Japan, and France.