Djibouti Parliament abolishes presidential age cap, clearing path for Guelleh’s 2026 run

Djibouti’s parliament voted on Sunday to approve a constitutional amendment removing the maximum age limit for presidential candidates, a move that legally clears the path for President Ismail Omar Guelleh, 77, to run in the April 2026 elections.

The National Assembly unanimously passed the measure, abolishing the previous rule that barred anyone over 75 from seeking the presidency.

The amendment caps a parliamentary process launched earlier this week, when lawmakers called for an extraordinary session to debate constitutional revisions, amid speculation that the change would pave the way for another Guelleh candidacy. Its significance lies in the fact that the age clause had been the final legal obstacle to his re-election. With the president now 77, amending the clause was a prerequisite for his potential run. Although Guelleh declined to confirm his intentions in an interview with jeune afrique May this year, many interpreted his silence as a signal that he was waiting for this legal adjustment before announcing a decision.

According to the adopted text, supporters of the amendment argued that it would “expand voters’ right to choose” and prevent “the popular will from being constrained by age criteria.” However, the timing of the change — just six months before the next election — drew criticism from civil society groups and opposition parties, who believe that “tailoring the rules on the eve of a vote” undermines equal opportunity and reinforces “incumbent advantage” in a system where the executive branch wields extensive control over the administration and public media.

Over the past quarter century, Guelleh has maintained an unbroken electoral presence since first taking office in 1999, winning re-election in 2005, 2011, 2016, and 2021. His presidency has long emphasized “stability” and “investment attraction,” leveraging Djibouti’s strategic position at the mouth of the Red Sea and its hosting of multiple foreign military bases. Opposition figures and human rights organizations, however, accuse the government of restricting civic space and curbing genuine political competition.

Economically and geopolitically, the government continues to bank on Djibouti’s image as a secure and strategic investment hub, anchored in port, logistics, and energy projects. Yet analysts warn that the narrative of “stability as an asset” could suffer if the 2026 election unfolds without credible guarantees of fairness. Donors and investors are increasingly linking financing to governance and transparency benchmarks, seeking predictable political conditions and adherence to clear electoral rules.

Opposition leaders and governance experts have stressed the importance of ensuring electoral integrity through genuine independence of the electoral authority, a publicly auditable voter register, equal access to public media, a strict separation between state resources and campaign financing, broad accreditation of both domestic and international observers, and prompt publication of detailed results from every polling station. Without such guarantees, they argue, the amendment will be seen less as a gesture of “voter empowerment” and more as a mechanism to preserve the ruling camp’s legal and institutional advantage.

Politically, attention now turns to the presidential palace to see when — and how— Guelleh might announce his intentions. An early declaration could allow his party to seize the initiative in organizing and funding the campaign, but it also carries risks if not paired with conciliatory gestures at home or signals of openness toward credible challengers.

For their part, opposition forces, historically fragmented and geographically dispersed, face the challenge of mobilizing support beyond urban centers and articulating a realistic platform that competes with the government’s message of “continuity.”

In bigger picture, lifting the age cap reshapes the landscape of the 2026 presidential race, granting the incumbent president a clear legal and structural advantage. The ruling part continues to dominate both parliament and state institutions, while opposition groups, organizationally weak and restricted in media access, operate under tight constraints. As a result, many domestic and international observers view the upcoming election less as a contest for power than as a managed renewal of political continuity.