CAIRO — News has been propagating about constitutional amendments that would extend the term of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in order to prepare the citizens for such prospects. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed newspaper published Dec. 9 a report about presidential pressure on Al-Azhar to back the constitutional amendments. Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria announced in a Dec. 5 interview on TEN satellite channel his support for the constitutional amendments, in case it was needed.
Mada Masr cited Nov. 22 sources — which the website claimed were from the General Intelligence Service, parliament and the presidency — saying on condition of anonymity that the amendments aim at extending Sisi’s current term, without specifying the number of years that the amendment asks for.