Abdul Fattah al-Sisi
CAIRO, Feb 16 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Egypt’s parliament has overwhelmingly voted to approve draft constitutional changes that could extend President Abdul Fattah al-Sisi’s time in office by another 12 years.
Sisi is due to stand down in 2022 when his second four-year term ends.
But 485 of the country’s 596 lawmakers voted to lengthen presidential terms to six years and let al-Sisi serve another two.
The changes, first proposed earlier this month, will now be drafted into legislation and put to another parliamentary vote. If approved again, Egypt will then hold a referendum.
Article 140 of Egypt’s constitution, approved in a referendum in 2014, currently states that the president serves four-year terms and may only be re-elected once.
But under proposed changes, the 64-year-old leader would be allowed to stay in power until 2034.
He would also get new powers to appoint judges and the public prosecutor.
The changes would also give Egypt’s military broad powers to “[safeguard] the constitution.”
Other amendments included the introduction of a second parliamentary chamber, a 25% quota for women in parliament and “appropriate representation” for minority Coptic Christians, young people and those with disabilities.
President Sisi’s supporters in parliament argue the longer term limits are needed to allow him more time to complete economic reforms and development projects.
Eleven Egyptian human rights groups, in a joint statement, said the provisions were “disingenuous attempts to sugarcoat [the government’s] authoritarian power-grab”.
Signatories include the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies and the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms.
Sisi, a former army chief, led the military overthrow of Egypt’s first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, in 2013 following protests against his rule.
He was re-elected last April after winning 97% of the vote, facing no serious competition because several rivals dropped out or were arrested. — NNN-AGENCIES
