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Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh 'set for fourth term' Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh wins fourth term
(about 11 hours later)
Djibouti's incumbent President Ismail Omar Guelleh will win a fourth term in office after Friday's elections, according to official projections. Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh has won a landslide victory in an election criticised by opposition parties and rights groups.
He "has been elected in the first round," Prime Minister Abdoulkader Kamil Mohamed said on national TV. Officials said Mr Guelleh won 87% of Friday's vote, which activists complained was preceded by political repression and curbs on basic freedoms.
Mr Guelleh has been in power since 1999 and has been criticised for his tight grip on power. Mr Guelleh, in power since 1999, begins a fourth five-year term in power.
He faced five opponents in the election, but three opposition parties boycotted the poll. He faced five rivals in the election, but three opposition parties boycotted the poll.
The opposition complain of police brutality and media bias under President Guelleh's rule. The opposition complain of police brutality and media bias under Mr Guelleh's rule.
Djibouti's strategic position on the Gulf of Aden means that it is home to US and French military bases. "The people of Djibouti have again entrusted me with the state's highest office," Mr Guelleh, 68, said in a speech on national TV.
The country is also seen as relatively stable in a region which includes Somalia, where the government does not control the whole country, and Yemen, where there is a civil war.
Some observers say that this explains the muted criticism of President Guelleh from the West.
More on this and other African news storiesMore on this and other African news stories
Djibouti election: What you need to knowDjibouti election: What you need to know
Djibouti’s thin-skinned democracyDjibouti’s thin-skinned democracy
Polls opened at 06:00 local time (03:00 GMT), on Friday, but voting got off to a slow start, the AFP news agency reports, with few of the country's 180,000 voters turning up early. Djibouti's strategic position on the Gulf of Aden means that it is home to US and French military bases.
The electoral commission extended polling by an hour to 16:00 GMT. The country is also seen as relatively stable in a region which includes Somalia, where the government does not control the whole country, and Yemen, where there is a civil war.
The opposition were angry that the president rescinded his earlier decision not to seek a fourth term. Observers say this explains the muted criticism of President Guelleh from the West.
Some 180,000 people were eligible to vote, around a fourth of the population.
The opposition were angry that the president rescinded his earlier decision not to seek another term.
His main rival, representing the opposition Union for National Salvation (USN) coalition, was Omar Elmi Kaireh, a Djibouti independence hero.His main rival, representing the opposition Union for National Salvation (USN) coalition, was Omar Elmi Kaireh, a Djibouti independence hero.
But another candidate, Mohamed Daoud Chehem, was from a USN splinter group, highlighting the fractured nature of the opposition. He came second, with 7%, according to provisional results announced by Interior Minister Hassan Omar.