Egypt Lawmakers Plan Motion to Amend Constitution, Reports Agency

CAIRO (Reuters) – A coalition of Egyptian lawmakers is preparing to propose constitutional amendments that would establish a second chamber of parliament and allow for the appointment of one or more deputy presidents, as reported by state news agency MENA on Saturday.

This initiative comes on the heels of a previous effort by ordinary citizens to modify presidential term limits set in the constitution, which was enacted in 2014 following the military’s ousting of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi amid widespread protests against his administration.

There has been considerable speculation regarding potential changes to the constitution, which currently restricts the presidency to two four-year terms, particularly following President Abdel Fattah Sisi’s re-election in March against a relatively weak opponent.

The proposed amendments are set to be presented to parliament speaker Ali Abdelaal on Sunday. To become law, they must be approved by two-thirds of parliamentary members and subsequently put to a referendum.

According to MENA, the changes being proposed by lawmakers include the re-establishment of the Shura Council, an upper chamber that functioned alongside the existing 596-member House of Representatives until its dissolution in 2014. Additionally, the amendments would allow for the appointment of one or more deputies for the president.

The proposals also aim to implement a quota that ensures women occupy at least 25 percent of parliamentary seats, along with provisions for adequate representation for youth, farmers, workers, and the Christian minority in the country.

While there was no mention of altering presidential term limits in the proposals, the head of the “Support Egypt” coalition responsible for leading these amendments, Abdel-Hadi al-Qassabi, emphasized that members of parliament have the right to request amendments to any constitutional article.

Qassabi referenced article 226 of the constitution, which permits the president and five members of parliament to propose changes to constitutional articles.

In December, MENA reported that an Egyptian court had scheduled hearings regarding a petition by several ordinary Egyptians urging the parliament speaker to initiate constitutional amendments that would facilitate Sisi’s candidacy for re-election after the conclusion of his second term.

The petitioners contend that article 140, which stipulates term limits, is “unfair to the great Egyptian people” and argue that eight years is insufficient time for a president to effectively address the country’s economic and security challenges.