Egypt's Sisi is close to locking up the presidency until 2030

(Image credit: Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

published 16 April 2019

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi is one step closer toward maintaining long-term, authoritarian power over his country.

On Tuesday, Egypt's parliament voted overwhelmingly — the final tally from the largely pro-Sisi parliament was 531 to 22 with one abstention — to approve "sweeping changes" to the national constitution. The amendments would help extend Sisi's rule until 2030 and give him unprecedented control over the judicial system. The changes to the constitution include: extending presidential terms from four to six years (Sisi's current term would be extended two years until 2024, after which he'd be permitted to run again), the ability for the president to appoint judges and a new prosecutor, and declaring the military, which Sisi used to command, "the guardian and protector" of Egypt's democracy and constitution.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sisi's reign has been criticized for alleged human rights abuses including silencing and imprisoning political dissidents and blocking internet access. And while technically the ultimate passing of the constitutional amendments rely on a public referendum — which could begin as early as next week — critics do not expect a fair vote. Indeed, Sisi's government has already clamped down on the opposition by blocking online petitions urging people to vote against the changes.

Explore More

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox