Djibouti opposition denounce election results citing massive rigging

Djibouti’s opposition lashed out at President Ismail Omar Guelleh on Saturday after he claimed a landslide victory in the general election, accusing him of stealing the ballot in an “electoral hold-up”.

President Ismail Omar Guelleh, in power since 1999, was expected to win a fourth term in office in an election that began on Friday, although some opposition candidates openly doubted the integrity of the vote.

Several opposition candidates complained that their representatives had been turned away from a number of voting centres on polling day.

“We demand that the government fix this and organise transparent, free, fair and just elections,” independent candidate Jama Abderahaman Djama told AFP.

Some opposition parties had called for a boycott, as they had done in previous votes, but turnout was reported to be 68 percent.

Opposition groups complained of curbs on freedom of assembly ahead of the vote, while rights groups denounced political repression and crackdowns on basic freedoms.

AFP