Djiboutian parliamentary election, 2003

← 1997

10 January 2003

2008 →

	First party	Second party

Leader	Ismaïl Omar Guelleh	Ahmed Dini Ahmed
Party	UMP	UAD
Seats won	65	21
Seat change	No change	No change
Popular vote	53,293	31,660
Percentage	62.7%	37.3%
Swing	18.11%	18.11%

President before election

Idriss Arnaoud Ali
RPP

Elected President

Idriss Arnaoud Ali
RPP

The 2003 Djiboutian parliamentary election took place in Djibouti on 10 January 2003 to elect the National Assembly of Djibouti. The ruling coalition of President Ismail Omar Guelleh won all 65 seats in the election defeating an opposition coalition.

After being a one-party state from 1977 to 1992, limited opposition was allowed in the last two parliamentary elections. The previous parliamentary election in 1997 however still saw supporters of President Guelleh win all of the seats in Parliament. The situation was changed for the 2003 election in that a law under which the number of political parties was restricted to four expired and full multi-party democracy was allowed.

For parliamentary elections Djibouti is divided up into five constituencies, with each constituency having varying number of seats. In each constituency the party or coalition which won the highest vote received all of the seats from that constituency. The 2003 election would also be the first time women would be elected to the Djibouti parliament after a new law was passed requiring a minimum of 10% male or female candidates on each parties candidate list.

The election was contested between two coalitions. The ruling Union for a Presidential Majority led by Prime Minister Dileita Mohamed Dileita comprised the parties People's Rally for Progress, Front for Restoration of Unity and Democracy, National Democratic Party and the Social Democratic People's Party. They were opposed in the election by an opposition coalition called the Union for a Democratic Change in Government and led by a former Prime Minister Ahmed Dini Ahmed. This coalition comprised the Republican Alliance for Democracy, Movement for Democratic Renewal and Development, Djibouti Party for Development and the Djibouti Union for Democracy and Justice.

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