Egypt’s Sisi says his presidency will end in 2030
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said at a military academy ceremony that his current term will end in 2030 and Egypt’s constitution will not be changed to extend it.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said on October 17 at a graduation ceremony at the Egyptian Military Academy, east of Cairo, that his current term would end in 2030 and Egypt’s constitution would not be changed to extend his presidency. The declaration addresses speculation about whether he might seek to stay in office after an earlier constitutional amendment enabled his current term.
‘I said that the Egyptian constitution would not be touched,’ Sisi said, according to Reuters. He described the end of his term as ‘an entirely settled matter’ that would not be discussed further. AFP reported that he called the question ‘completely settled’ and said the period leading up to 2030 would be the end of his presidency ‘if I am still alive.’
Why Sisi’s 2030 departure matters
Sisi won re-election in December 2023 and is serving a six-year term. Amendments approved in a 2019 referendum lengthened presidential terms from four years to six and allowed him to seek a third term, clearing the way for him to remain in office until 2030. His comments set out his position on any further change to those limits.
The constitution approved in 2014, after the military ouster of President Mohamed Morsi the previous year, originally limited presidents to two four-year terms, AFP reported. Sisi, a former army general, became president in 2014. Before entering that race, he had denied having political ambitions; he resigned as defence minister and went on to win the election.
Critics and opposition figures have speculated about further constitutional changes that could allow Sisi to remain beyond 2030, according to AFP. At the academy ceremony, he said the years until then would be used to prepare a new generation of leaders, including prospective officials, ministers and presidential candidates.
Egypt’s military academy and political succession
The ceremony took place in the New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo, which AFP described as one of Sisi’s flagship projects. During his presidency, Egypt has pursued a state-led development programme centred on large projects. Critics say heavy borrowing for that programme has added to the country’s debt burden and economic pressures.
International human rights organisations have criticised restrictions on political opposition, civil society and freedom of expression during Sisi’s presidency. The government rejects those allegations and says its policies are necessary to preserve stability and security, AFP reported.
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Sources and context
- Egypt's Sisi says his presidency will end in 2030Reuters, carried by Al-Monitor
- Egypt's President Sisi pledges to leave office when term ends in 2030AFP, as credited by Dawn
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.