Egypt MPs back Constitution changes to extend Sisi rule

Egypt's President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi looks on to Hungarian President Janos Ader (unseen) during a visit at the presidential palace in Budapest on July 3, 2017. / PHOTO | ATTILA KISBENEDEK | AFP

What you need to know:

  • The changes to extend presidential terms are part of amendments initially introduced in February by a parliamentary bloc supportive of President Sisi and updated this week after several rounds of debates.
  • MPs approved other sweeping changes to the Constitution including allowing the military a greater influence in Egyptian political life as well as granting Mr Sisi greater control over the judiciary.

CAIRO,

Members of Egypt's parliament on Tuesday approved changes to the Constitution that will allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to stay in power until 2030, state media reported.

The changes to extend presidential terms are part of amendments initially introduced in February by a parliamentary bloc supportive of President Sisi and updated this week after several rounds of debates.

"The President's current term shall expire at the end of six years from the date of his election as President in 2018," reported the official Al-Ahram news website and broadcaster Nile TV.

"He can be re-elected for another (six-year) term."

OTHER CHANGES

MPs approved other sweeping changes to the Constitution including allowing the military a greater influence in Egyptian political life as well as granting Mr Sisi greater control over the judiciary.

"The final votes on all the amendments package have yet to be tallied," MP Mohamed Abu Hamed told AFP.

The amendments are expected to be put to a public referendum later in April.

Critics have slammed the amendments as "unconstitutional".

Last week, Human Rights Watch said the changes would "institutionalise authoritarianism".

HISTORY

Egypt's parliament, which is packed with President Sisi's supporters, was elected in 2015.

A former military chief, Mr Sisi became President in 2014, a year after having led the military ouster of Egypt's first freely-elected president, the Islamist Mohamed Morsi.

He was re-elected in 2018 with more than 97 percent of the vote, after standing virtually unopposed.

Under Mr Sisi, Egypt has drawn wide international criticism for its sweeping crackdown on dissent including Mr Morsi's Islamist supporters as well as secular and liberal activists.