Djibouti Parliament Votes to Lift Presidential Age Limit

Djibouti, 26 October 2025 — The National Assembly of Djibouti has voted to remove the upper age limit for presidential candidates, as part of a sweeping constitutional reform package adopted on Sunday.

The abolition of the previous 75-year age cap effectively clears the way for President Ismaïl Omar Guelleh, 77, to seek re-election in elections scheduled for next year. Guelleh has been in power since 1999.

The plenary session, chaired by Speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita and attended by Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed, approved the Constitutional Amendment Bill by a majority.

Speaking to Djibouti State Media (RTD) after the vote, MP Abdourahman Awaleh Yasin confirmed that the reform includes Article 23, which now stipulates that candidates for the presidency must be at least 40 years old, hold Djiboutian nationality only, and have resided in Djibouti for at least five consecutive years before declaring their candidacy.

The constitutional revision also introduces several other reforms, notably:

• The explicit inclusion of the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Constitution.
• The expansion of the Constitutional Council from six to nine members, with their terms extended from eight to nine years.
• The creation of an organic law on national budget management to strengthen fiscal transparency and accountability.

Lawmakers hailed the reform as a milestone in Djibouti’s institutional modernization, with officials describing it as a step toward “stability, legal clarity, and democratic continuity.”