2026 Djiboutian presidential election explained

Country:Djibouti
Type:presidential
Ongoing:yes
Previous Election:2021 Djiboutian presidential election
Previous Year:2021
Election Date:by April 2026
Next Election:2031 Djiboutian presidential election
Next Year:2031
Candidate1:TBD
Alliance1:UMP
Party1:RPP
President
Before Election:Ismaïl Omar Guelleh
Before Party:People's Rally for Progress

Presidential elections will be held in Djibouti by April 2026. While term limits have been scrapped in 2010 following a constitutional reform, incumbent president Ismaïl Omar Guelleh who won a fifth term in 2021, having been president since 1999 is ineligible for a sixth term due to the age limit of 75 that Guelle imposed on the reform. Thus, the election will be the first where Guelleh's name won't appear on the ballot.

Background

Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, the president since 1999, was re-elected five times, most recently in 2021.[1] While scrapping term limits in a 2010 constitutional reform, Guelleh also imposed an age limit of 75. Thus, he cannot run again in 2026 and that this term is his final term.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Veteran ruler Guelleh re-elected Djibouti leader for fifth term. Aljazeera. 10 April 2021.