Declaration on the legislative elections announced for February 24, 2023 in Djibouti

XXVI Congress of the Socialist International, Madrid

25-27 November 2022

 

Original: French

Ignoring the international calls and democratic aspirations of the Djiboutian People, the president Ismail Omar Guelleh of Djibouti has announced parliament elections to be held on 24 February 2023. However, in the absence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) agreed in the 30 December 2014 Political Agreement between the Government and the Opposition, the conditions for free and fair elections remain unmet in Djibouti. This means, once again, the so-called parliament elections will not be free and fair.

The Socialist International condemns this democratic denial and fully supports the aspiration of the Djiboutian people to free and fair elections, which implies the creation of the CENI.

The Socialist International (IS) demands also the implementation of the 4 November 2020 decision by the UN Committee for the Human Rights which canceled the ban through presidential decree of the Member Party MRD, so that it can take part in the upcoming elections which must be free and fair.