The Egyptian Parliament succeeded Sunday in taking the first official steps towards amending some articles in the Constitution, including extending the presidential term from four to six years.
Parliament Speaker Ali Abdelaal confirmed that more than a fifth of the chamber’s 596 deputies have presented a motion proposing constitutional amendments, which will be considered by the legislature.
Last June, after a landslide victory, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was sworn in for a second term, the last allowed for him to serve according to existing law.
Article 140 of the Constitution says the president is elected for a period of four calendar years, commencing on the day the term of his predecessor ends. “The president may only be re-elected once.”
However, the new amendment would allow Sisi to remain in office beyond 2022, the year in which his maximum two-term limit ends under the 2014 charter.
The Support Egypt parliamentary bloc is leading the battle requesting the constitutional amendment.
Although Abdelaal gave no details Sunday on the proposed changes, head of Support Egypt Abdel-Hadi al-Qassabi said the expected amendments included extending the presidential term.
“Looking to maintain stability and to complete the development plans, there is a proposal to extend the presidential term to six years,” Qassabi told reporters before handing the motion to Abdelaal.
He said the new amendments include allowing the president to appoint at least one vice president, reintroducing two state bodies effectively dissolved by the 2014 Constitution, and stipulating a 25 percent representation quota for women in parliamentary elections, with “adequate” representation for Coptic Christians and disabled persons.
Abdelaal said Sunday he already referred the motion to Parliament’s General Committee, which is responsible to review the proposal’s adherence to specific terms and conditions, as outlined in Article 226 of the Constitution and Article 133 of the parliamentary bylaws.
In an interview in 2017 with CNBC, Sisi publicly said he will not seek a third term in office, asserting that he respects the country's Constitution and will not interfere with it.
