ADDIS ABABA: Djibouti’s parliament will take a final vote on removing a presidential age limit on November 2, its speaker told AFP Wednesday, opening the way for leader Ismail Omar Guelleh to run for a sixth term.
Guelleh, 77, has held power since 1999 in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, a major port that hosts military bases for the United States, France, and China.
In a first vote at the weekend, Djibouti’s lawmakers unanimously approved a change to the constitution to remove a bar on running for president past the age of 75.
Guelleh approved the first vote, and the amendment will now pass for final approval on Sunday — opening the way for him to run in the next election in April 2026.
“There will be no problem, even the opposition supports us,” said speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita.
