POWER GRAB

Egyptian Lawmakers Approve Constitution Changes That Would Give President El-Sisi ‘Unprecedented Powers’

The new changes, if approved in a public referendum, could allow el-Sisi to rule until 2030.

Egyptian lawmakers approved a swath of new changes to the country’s constitution on Tuesday that could keep President Abdel Fatah el-Sisi in power until 2030, The Washington Post reports. The country’s parliament reportedly passed amendments that would extent el-Sisi’s current term for another two years, give him power to appoint judges and Egypt’s public prosecutor, and expand the military’s political powers. In other words, el-Sisi wouldn’t be due for another election until 2024 under the new changes and could potentially stay in office until 2030. The changes will reportedly have to be approved by an upcoming public referendum, but critics told the Post a free and fair election on the changes is “almost impossible” due to the government’s efforts to silence opposition. Last week, President Trump reportedly met with el-Sisi in Washington, D.C., and claimed he was a “great president” when reporters asked about Egypt’s constitutional changes.