Mahmoud Barakat
05 February 2019•Update: 05 February 2019
ISTANBUL
Egyptian opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei has criticized proposed constitutional amendments to increase the president's term from four to six years.
"The constitution is a consensual contract between all parties and not a contract of consent imposed by one party to another," ElBaradei said on Twitter.
Citing that the struggle to change the constitution since 2011 was a reason for "catastrophe" in Egypt, ElBaradei said "non-consensual constitution usually hastens the departure of its owner."
On Sunday, the Support Egypt Coalition, the country's largest parliamentary bloc, lodged an official request with the assembly to amend the country's national charter.
The coalition, which holds 317 out of 596 parliamentary seats, also reportedly wants to amend the constitution to allow the formation of an upper house of parliament.
Supporters of Egypt’s regime have expressed support for the move, which, they say, would contribute to the country’s “stability”.
Opponents of the move, by contrast, including many journalists, say the proposed changes -- if implemented -- would “set the country back years”.
This is the third day in a row for ElBaradei, who briefly served as an interim vice-president in 2013, to tweet against the proposed constitution change.
Notably, opposition member of parliament Haitham al-Hariri published a draft of the proposed amendments that include an interim article that allows incumbent President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to remain in power for 2034.
Ratified in 2014, Egypt’s current constitution states that “texts pertaining to the re-election of the president… or the principles of freedom and equality stipulated in the constitution, may not be amended, unless the amendment brings more guarantees”.
Al-Sisi was elected in the same year the new charter was ratified -- and one year after leading a military coup against his predecessor, Mohamed Morsi.
In June of last year, al-Sisi was re-elected to a second presidential term, which is set to expire in 2022.
According to the constitution in its current form, al-Sisi cannot run for a third term in office.
The presidency has yet to comment on the proposed constitutional adjustments, but al-Sisi has said in previous televised remarks that he had no intention to run for a third term.
