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UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs

DJIBOUTI: Pro-presidential parties win poll

NAIROBI, 13 January 2003 (IRIN) - The pro-presidential coalition in Djibouti has taken all 65 seats in the national assembly, following the country's first full multi-party elections held last week, according to official results.

The announcement, reported by the Djibouti news agency, was made by the country's Interior Minister, Abdulkader Doualeh Wais, on Saturday.

Parties supporting President Omar Ismael Guelleh - grouped under the Union pour la majorite presidentielle (UMP) - won 62.2 percent of the votes, against 36.9 percent for the opposition in the country's five districts. This included the northern district of Obock, considered an opposition stronghold.

According to Djibouti's electoral system, the party which wins the majority in a constituency is awarded all the assembly seats.

In the capital, Djibouti-Ville, the opposition Union pour une Alternance Démocratique (UAD) took 44.9 percent of the votes, and the UMP 55 percent. Opposition leader Ahmed Dini Ahmed - a former prime minister turned rebel leader - claimed there had been fraud and said he would appeal.

According the Djibouti news agency, President Guelleh on Sunday hailed the "political maturity" in the country which had enabled the polls to be held "in a peaceful atmosphere".

The agency also pointed out that for the first time since Djibouti gained independence from France 25 years ago, seven women will now enter parliament.

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Abdulkader Doualeh Wais has forbidden the opposition from holding a rally on Monday to protest against the election results.

"Given the risk to public order, I have not given the authorisation for this meeting," he said in a statement. "I have given the necessary instructions to the security forces to deal with any attempt to disrupt public order."

He added that any electoral appeal should be addressed to the Constitutional Court.

Themes: (IRIN) Governance

[ENDS]

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