Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi announced Saturday that he intends to leave office in 2030, in accordance with Egypt's amended constitution, ruling out the possibility of further constitutional changes. He said his departure was "settled and not open for discussion."
Amendments to Egypt's constitution were approved in 2019, allowing el-Sisi to remain president until 2030. At the time, critics argued that the changes marked another step toward consolidating authoritarian rule in Egypt, potentially creating a regime even more repressive than that of President Hosni Mubarak, who was ousted in a popular uprising in 2011. Mubarak's overthrow, after 29 years in power, had raised hopes of establishing a genuine democracy.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
(Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP)
In recent days, el-Sisi has also addressed the question of when he will leave office in several other speeches. Speaking Saturday at a ceremony at Egypt's military academy, he added: "My duty is to protect the country and hand over its flag while it is still flying high. We are committed to preparing people capable of assuming the responsibility of leading the country. We will not allow people who are incapable of taking on that responsibility to lead."
He also expressed unequivocal support for the Gulf states and Saudi Arabia, which is currently facing attacks by the Houthis in Yemen.
"We stand firmly with our brothers in the Gulf and fully support the defense of their territories. We will take any measure Saudi Arabia requests to protect its security and sovereignty," he said.
El-Sisi came to power more than a decade ago after ousting Muslim Brotherhood leader Mohamed Morsi in a military coup in 2013. Morsi had been elected president following the revolution that toppled Mubarak.
Since the military takeover, el-Sisi has ruled Egypt virtually unchecked. During his decade in power, he has overseen a sweeping crackdown on liberals, left-wing activists and Islamists alike, with human rights organizations alleging that tens of thousands of people have been imprisoned. El-Sisi and his supporters maintain that the arrests were necessary to stabilize Egypt and curb radical Islamism.
After winning the 2014 presidential election with 97% of the vote and securing a similar result in 2018, el-Sisi won 89% of the vote in 2023, in yet another election whose outcome was widely seen as a foregone conclusion.