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Djibouti - Government

Djibouti has a republican form of government. A president heads the executive branch. A prime minister leads a council of ministers. The unicameral chamber of deputies has legislative responsibilities. It has 65 elected members, and most ministers are chosen from these elected representatives. The supreme court administers judicial affairs.

Many laws and decrees from before independence remain. On 4 September 1992, the electorate approved Djibouti’s multiparty constitution in a referendum.

The country is divided into five administrative districts known as cercles: Ali Sabieh, Dikhil, Tadjoura, Obock, and Djibouti.

The president, who is head of state, is directly elected by universal, adult suffrage for a 6-year term. A council of ministers is responsible to the president. The president appoints the prime minister and the council of ministers. The constitution requires that the president be an Issa and that the prime minister, who heads the cabinet, be an Afar.

Djibouti’s National Assembly, which comprises the legislature, has 65 members: 33 are Issa and 32 are Afar. Each member is elected for a 5-year term in a multi-seat constituency.

After independence, Djibouti retained in large part the French Napoleonic code judicial system. The French did not, unfortunately, train any local judges and Djibouti relied on the French judges for many years after independence. A number of local judges were gradually trained over the years but the shortage still exists. The existing Judiciary does not operate independently of the executive branch. Promoting transparency and independent operations is a priority to eliminate executive interference as well as tribal influences on judicial decisions.

The Supreme Court constitutes the judicial branch and is based on French civil law system, traditional practices, and Islamic law. There is also a court of first instance and a court of appeals, which are subordinate to the Supreme Court. Each of the five administrative districts also has a customary court.

The 1992 constitution is modeled after the 1958 French constitution. The judiciary is not completely independent of the executive branch. A state security court handles political trials and cases involving purported threats to national security. Political trials may be applied to the Supreme Court.

All citizens who are at least 18 years-old may vote.