By Asha Elmi - Reporter
Djibouti, 23 October 2025 — Djibouti’s National Assembly will hold a special session on Sunday to debate and vote on a proposed constitutional amendment, Speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita announced on Wednesday.
The announcement came during the opening of the Second Regular Session of 2025, attended by Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, cabinet ministers, and members of parliament.
After deliberations on other legislative matters, Speaker Dileita informed lawmakers that the next sitting would be dedicated exclusively to the constitutional revision, describing it as a historic stage in the country’s institutional evolution.
“This constitutional revision constitutes a moment of legal and institutional reform in the republican trajectory of the country,” he said, calling the upcoming session “ a defining moment in Djibouti’s contemporary political and institutional history.”
He underlined that the October 26 session will adhere to all constitutional procedures, including quorum, majority, and voting requirements, to ensure the legality and transparency of the process.
The government has not disclosed details of the proposed amendment. If adopted, it would mark Djibouti’s first constitutional revision since 2010, when parliament removed presidential term limits and set the age range for presidential candidates between 40 and 75, replacing the earlier rule that only required candidates to be over 40.
The timing of the review — coming just months before Djibouti’s April 2026 general elections — has generated discussion across social media, where many speculate that the amendment could target Article 23, which caps presidential candidates’ age at 75 years.President Guelleh, 77, who has led the country since 1999, would be ineligible to run again under the current constitution. Critics claim the government may be seeking to alter eligibility rules ahead of the vote, though officials have not confirmed any such plan.
Analysts say the October 26 session could prove decisive for Djibouti’s constitutional framework and political landscape, shaping the path toward the 2026 elections.
