Djibouti’s parliament removed the age limit for presidents with a unanimous vote on Sunday, its speaker said, opening the way for leader Ismail Omar Guelleh to run for a sixth term.

Guelleh, 77, has held power since 1999 in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, a major port that hosts military bases for the United States, France, China, Japan and Italy.

Djibouti’s lawmakers unanimously approved the change to the constitution to remove a bar on running for president past the age of 75.

“The National Assembly ratified the removal of the age limit today, so it is official,” said parliament speaker Dileita Mohamed Dileita. (AFP)