Egypt parliament approves constitutional changes

<p>By Viola Fahmy</p> <p>CAIRO (AA) – Egypt’s parliament on Thursday approved proposed constitutional changes that would increase the duration of presidential terms from four to six years.</p> <p>A total of 485 out of 596 MPs voted in favor of the proposed amendments.</p> <p>The changes will now be referred to the office of President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, which is expected to set a date for a popular referendum on the issue.</p> <p>Earlier this month, the Support Egypt Coalition, the country's largest parliamentary bloc, lodged an official request with the assembly to amend the country's national charter. </p> <p>Al-Sisi’s supporters back the move, which, they say, will contribute to Egypt’s “stability”. </p> <p>Opponents of the move, by contrast, including many journalists, say the changes — if implemented — would “set the country back years”. </p> <p>Al-Sisi was elected president the same year that Egypt’s 2014 constitution was ratified — and one year after he led a military coup against his predecessor, Mohamed Morsi. </p> <p>In June of last year, al-Sisi was re-elected to a second presidential term, which is set to expire in 2022. </p> <p>According to the constitution in its current form, al-Sisi cannot run for a third term in office. </p> <p>The presidency, for its part, 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 in office.</p>