Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Djibouti’s President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won a sixth term in office after securing 97.8 percent of the vote, according to preliminary official results reported by the BBC.
His only challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, received 2.19 percent of the vote in an election that was boycotted by most opposition parties.
The 78-year-old leader has been in power for 27 years. He had previously indicated he would step down, but later ran for re-election after constitutional changes in November removed the upper age limit of 75 for presidential candidates, according to the BBC.
Guelleh’s campaign focused on maintaining stability in Djibouti, which sits on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a key global shipping route linking to the Suez Canal. The country hosts military bases for several foreign powers, including the United States, China, France, Italy, and Japan.
The BBC reported that opposition parties have largely boycotted elections since 2016, saying there is no space for free political activity.
According to officials cited by the BBC, voter turnout in the election exceeded 80 percent.
The results still require validation by the Constitutional Council before Guelleh is sworn in for another five-year term.
Guelleh won the 2021 election by a similar margin. Constitutional changes in 2010 removed term limits and reduced presidential terms from six to five years.
Further amendments in November allowed him to contest the current election after the age limit was lifted.
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