• 23:23
  • Monday ,28 February 2011
العربية

Panel proposes limit to presidential term

By-AFP

Home News

00:02

Monday ,28 February 2011

Panel proposes limit to presidential term

CAIRO (Updated) - An Egyptian panel tasked with overseeing =constitutional changes on Saturday proposed to limit presidential terms to two, in amendments that will be put to a referendum, the official MENA agency said.

The committee, headed by Tarek al-Bishri, is also seeking to reduce the length presidential terms to four years.
      Under the current constitution, a president can serve an unlimited number of six-year terms.
      The ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces instructed an eight-strong panel of jurists and scholars to "amend all articles as it sees fit to guarantee democracy and the integrity of presidential and parliamentary elections."
      On February 16, the panel was given 10 days to finish its task, and was asked to strike down the articles giving presidents unlimited terms in office and the right to refer cases to military courts.
     The panel is also proposing that the president be at least 40, have two Egyptian parents with no other nationality, and not be married to a non-Egyptian.
     Egypt has been under military rule since February 11 when president Hosni Mubarak resigned following a wave of nationwide street protests that left at least 384 people dead, thousands wounded and scores detained.
     When he resigned, Mubarak was approaching the end of his fifth term in office.