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Egypt’s Parliament began deliberations yesterday over constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office till 2034, 12 more years after his current, second term expires in 2022.
The development came amid concerns that Egypt is slipping back into authoritarianism, eight years after a pro-democracy uprising ended autocratic President Hosni Mubarak’s nearly three-decade rule. The amendments also boost the power of the military, already the dominant force in Egyptian politics.
Lawmakers are expected to vote today, after which the text of the amendments would be finalized by a special legislative committee and sent back to the assembly for a final decision within two months.
The 596-seat assembly, which is packed with el-Sissi’s supporters, already gave its preliminary approval to the changes last week. The amendments are almost certain to be overwhelmingly approved by the legislature, but will also need to be put to a national referendum to become law.
