03 February 2019•Update: 04 February 2019
CAIRO
Egypt's largest bloc in parliament, Support Egypt Coalition, on Sunday submitted a request to the assembly to amend the country's constitution, according to the official MENA news agency.
Abdelhadi al-Qasabi, head of the bloc which holds 317 seats in the 596-member assembly, lodged the request with Speaker of Parliament Ali Abdel Aal.
MENA quoted Al-Qasabi as saying that the amendments include forming an upper house of parliament.
According to local media, the proposed constitutional amendments include increasing the presidential term from four to six years.
While opponents tweeted against the proposed amendments, supporters of the Egyptian regime reiterated their support for the move to amend the charter on the ground of ensuring stability.
The Egyptian constitution, which was issued in 2014, states that "in all cases, texts pertaining to the re-election of the president of the republic or the principles of freedom and equality stipulated in this constitution may not be amended, unless the amendment brings more guarantees."
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi was elected in 2014, one year after leading a coup against his predecessor Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood group.
In June 2018, al-Sisi was re-elected to a second term in office, which ends in 2022.
Under the Egyptian constitution, al-Sisi is not allowed to run for a third term.
The Egyptian Presidency did not comment on the move, but al-Sisi said in a previous televised interview that he did not intend to amend the constitution and would refuse a third term.
