Egypt parliament committee approves amendments extending presidential term

An Egyptian parliamentary committee on Tuesday gave preliminary approval to constitutional amendments that would allow President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to remain in office until 2034.

Many Egyptian opposition parties have expressed their disapproval and have reportedly formed a coalition against the proposed changes.

Egypt’s Conservative party said in an official statement on Wednesday that it decided to reject the constitutional amendments proposed by a fifth of the parliament’s deputies.

The proposed amendments lack any credible philosophy, not to mention that they lead to undermining some of the main principles preserved by Egypt’s 2014 Constitution, such as maintaining the independence of the judiciary, striking a balance among powers, and establishing a mixed parliamentary-presidential system.

It is joined by the leftist Tagammu Party and the Egyptian Socialist Democratic party, which both have expressed their rejection of the proposal as well.

The committee also approved other proposed constitutional amendments, including the formation of a senate, a second chamber of parliament, maintenance of youth and special percentages and a woman quota in the parliament that should not be less than 25 percent.

The 596-seat assembly will take their final vote on February 17, before having a national referendum

Source: Jurist