A petition demanding that Egypt’s president, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi, remain in power beyond his two-term limit is circulating within Egyptian institutions and among pro-state figures.
A photograph of the petition was provided to the Guardian by a senior political figure. The document states it is part of a campaign called The People Demand, and calls for a change to the constitution to allow Sisi to remain president beyond his second term.
Signatories give their name and personal details such as a national identification number to approve amending article 140 of the constitution, which stipulates that the president is elected for two presidential terms of four years. “We demand amending it to three terms,” it reads.
It is not clear how widely the petition has been circulated or how many have signed it. However, its existence follows a tried and tested model of giving the appearance of grassroots support to the Egyptian government’s policy goals. A similar petition called To Build It, demanding that Sisi ran for a second term, was started by an Egyptian member of parliament seven months before the March 2018 election.