Djibouti's ruling party, the People's Rally for Progress (RPP), has nominated the incumbent 77-year-old President Ismail Omar Guelleh as its candidate for the upcoming presidential election. This was reported by the television channel Al Jazeera.
The decision was made following a party conference in the capital of Djibouti. According to the channel, Guelleh's candidacy was also supported by allies in the parliamentary coalition, as well as by the largest opposition party, the Union for Democracy and Justice.
In his address, the president announced his readiness to run on behalf of the party and thanked the members for their trust, describing it as a "sincere expression of the will of the Djiboutian people and their faith in the country's bright future." He also emphasized that, if re-elected, the country would need to exert "more effort to strengthen national unity and consolidate the government's achievements."
If elected, Guelleh would serve as head of state for a sixth term. The incumbent president's ability to participate in the election was made possible by the removal of an age limit in late October, which had previously barred individuals over 75 from running for the presidency.
Ismail Omar Guelleh is the second president of Djibouti since the country gained independence from France in 1977. In April 2021, he was re-elected for a fifth term with over 97% of the vote.
Anna Bespalova
