How does Sisi really feel about Egypt's constitution?
Critics of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi say he is bending Egypt's constitution to his will and that he alters his statements about the constitution depending on his audience.
During a meeting with a delegation from the US Congress on June 26, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said the Egyptian Constitution includes unprecedented provisions regarding the rule of law and democratic practice. This is the same constitution that, during a meeting with Egyptian university students in September, Sisi described as “a constitution written with good intentions," but then added, "States are not built with good intentions.”
During a November BBC interview, Sisi said his statements about good intentions had been misunderstood, and he pledged not to seek amendments to the constitution or exercise more power than it affords him.
Mustafa Kamel Sayed, a professor of political science at Cairo University, told Al-Monitor the president’s statements about the constitution differ depending on whether he is addressing the West or Egypt. He said this is common in Arab politics in general and added that, in his view, the president’s statements to the Egyptians on the constitution are more indicative of what is going on in his mind.
According to Sayed, Sisi thinks the constitution limits his authority and is worried by the powers it grants parliament. For example, parliament shall give its vote of confidence to the prime minister appointed by the president, and parliament can withdraw confidence from the president.
