It’s time for the bill in Djibouti, which organized its presidential election on Friday, April 9. The offices closed at 19 and we are now waiting for the results, which may fall overnight. The result of the vote is not in doubt with President Ismaël Omar Guelleh, a candidate for a fifth term against Zakaria Ismail Farah, an independent candidate.
“The effort is, above all, participatory,” acknowledged Djibouti’s prime minister. Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed blew up the opposition, which boycotted the vote and called on citizens to avoid the ballot box.
For the head of government, opponents of power feel that they are important and have support from social networks, but reality plays out in the elections, he said.
Authorities have launched a campaign in recent months to encourage Djibouti to withdraw their ballots and vote. They are hoping for a referendum for President Guelleh, crowned with a strong civic mobilization, to give better legitimacy to his fifth term.
“The people are tired of this meadow masquerade. There is no competition. There is no point in going and voting, “replied Abdurahman Mohamed Guelleh from the Radde party.
It is still difficult to say which conversation was heard the most. In any case, this morning several witnesses described almost deserted polling stations without queues. But more voters came after Salad Al Jum’ah, the Friday afternoon prayer.
The expected result is doubtful, with President Guelleh, 73, on the one hand, in power for 99 and never re-elected with less than 75% of the vote. On the other hand, Zakaria Ismail Farah, a 56-year-old entrepreneur who is unknown to the public and who presents himself as an independent. The latter also complained that his delegates could not access some of the polling stations.
