Egypt Could Have El-Sisi to 2030 Under Proposed Charter Changes

CAIRO (Capital Markets in Africa) – Egypt’s parliament is expected to vote Tuesday on whether to amend the constitution to let President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi remain in office until 2030.

The amendment, approved Sunday by parliament’s legislative committee, moderates earlier proposals that could have kept El-Sisi in office until 2038. Under the latest version, the presidential term would be extended to six years from four, with a limit of two terms. An exception would be made for El-Sisi, who would be allowed to run for a third, six-year tenure and have his current term extended by two years.

Constitutional amendments must be ratified in a national referendum, and momentum has been building. Banners and posters that have sprung up on highways, bridges and roads across the country exhort Egyptians to embrace their national responsibility and approve the changes.

Activists and civil rights groups have been critical of the proposals, which are expected to breeze through a legislature packed with supporters of the general-turned-president. By cementing El-Sisi’s hold on power for years to come, the amendments would only exacerbate a serious erosion of civil liberties and human rights since his 2014 election, they say.

Supporters say El-Sisi — who came to power a year after a military-backed popular uprising ousted his Islamist predecessor, Mohamed Mursi — is the only one with the skill and force of will to drive home the broad economic changes enacted since his election.

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Aal commended the proposal as a “comfortable” middle ground and promised to overhaul the constitution entirely within 10 years.

The revision of the presidential term is one of a series of amendments to be brought before parliament on Monday. Other changes include:

• The appointment of at least once vice president
• The re-establishment of parliament’s upper house, which would be responsible for ratifying international agreements and economic and social development plans
• Ensuring 25 percent representation for women in parliament
• Further deepening the military’s role by making it responsible for safeguarding the constitution, people’s rights and civilian rule
• The president would have final say in judicial appointments and in naming the country’s top prosecutor