Sisi Pledges to Leave Egypt’s Presidency in 2030

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has said he will leave office when his current term expires in 2030, calling the matter “completely settled.” Speaking to graduates and state officials in a new city east of Cairo, he said the constitution would not be changed and that the years before 2030 would be used to prepare a new generation of leaders. Sisi added that his term would end then “if I am still alive.” Sisi, a former general who became president in 2014, was initially subject to a limit of two four-year terms. A later constitutional amendment extended presidential terms to six years and included transitional provisions that enabled him to run again. Despite Sisi’s pledge, critics and opposition figures have speculated that further constitutional changes might be made to allow him to stay in office beyond 2030. The article also describes the record and criticisms of Sisi’s 12 years in power. His government has pursued an ambitious, state-led development programme focused on large-scale projects. Critics say the programme has depended heavily on borrowing and added to Egypt’s growing debt. Rights organisations accuse the government of suppressing political opposition, civil society and freedom of expression. The government, in turn, says its policies are needed to maintain stability and security. The report presents Sisi’s announcement alongside the constitutional context and competing assessments of his government, without resolving whether he will ultimately leave office as promised.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his current presidency will end in 2030 and described his departure from office at that time as settled. Speaking on Saturday at a graduation ceremony for new classes at the Egyptian Military Academy, Sisi reiterated that Egypt’s constitution would not be amended, saying the matter would not be discussed. Sisi, 71, is serving a six-year term after winning re-election in December 2023. Constitutional amendments approved in a 2019 referendum extended presidential terms from four years to six and enabled him to seek a third term. Those changes made it possible for him to remain in office until 2030. His remarks therefore reaffirm the timetable enabled by the amendments while rejecting the prospect of further constitutional changes to extend or otherwise alter it. A former general, Sisi came to power in 2013 after toppling Mohamed Mursi, Egypt’s first democratically elected president. Mursi was removed following mass protests against his rule. The report, attributed to Reuters, focuses on Sisi’s statement about the end of his tenure and gives the constitutional and political background needed to understand why 2030 is the stated endpoint. It does not report any new constitutional proposal or change to the schedule.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi says he will leave office when his current mandate ends in 2030 and will not seek another term. Speaking at a military academy graduation ceremony, he proposed a 30-month programme for up to 1,000 doctorate holders aged 40 to 50, sponsored by the armed forces, to prepare future national leaders. Applicants would be interviewed and vetted. El Sisi did not clarify whether civilians and military personnel alike could participate, or whether completion of the programme would become a requirement for presidential candidates. Critics on social media questioned whether the proposal would require a constitutional amendment. The military academy has taken on a growing role in government training, with public employees including teachers, imams and diplomats required to attend before hiring or promotion. The article says some view this as part of a broader effort to strengthen the armed forces’ authority in political, economic and security affairs. El Sisi also urged parliament to legislate a constitutional provision defining the military as protector of the state, democracy and territorial integrity. He denied rumours that he was preparing a family member to succeed him. His pledge follows an earlier announcement that he would not seek constitutional changes to remain in power beyond 2030. Although some social media accounts urged him to stay, he has warned against threats to the state. El Sisi will have served 16 years by the end of his term; amendments approved in 2019 extended presidential terms from four to six years and treated his first term as beginning in 2018 rather than 2014. The article describes divided views of his leadership. Supporters credit him with stability amid regional conflicts and economic pressures, while critics blame government borrowing and costly infrastructure projects for economic problems and fault it for failing to settle Egypt’s dispute with Ethiopia over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam. El Sisi argues that infrastructure investment can attract foreign capital and accuses Ethiopia of exploiting Egypt’s 2011 turmoil to begin construction of the dam.