Governance system in Egypt – World Countries for Kids
President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has governed Egypt in an authoritarian manner since July 2013, first as de facto leader post July 2013 coup against the then president Mohammed Morsi and later as elected president post May 2014 presidential election. Meaningful political opposition is more or less non-existent, as expressions of dissent can invite criminal prosecution and incarceration. Civil liberties, including freedom of assembly and press freedom, are firmly restricted. Security forces indulge in human rights abuses with impunity. Discrimination against women folk, LGBT+ people, and other groups remains a serious concern, as do extraordinarily high rates of gender-based violence.
Electoral Process
President al-Sisi, who grabbed power in a 2013 coup while serving as Egypt’s Defense Minister and Commander of the Armed Forces, has retained power employing unfair and non-competitive processes. In presidential election held in December 2023, the regime effectually barred any major challengers from participating, and election authorities reported that Sisi won whopping 89.6 percent of the vote. His triumph came after a campaign marked by the arrest of opponents, pressure, and tough eligibility requirements for candidates, which collectively thwarted any meaningful competition. The election that was scheduled for spring of 2024, was moved up by Sisi, with analysts speculating that his intention was to hold the poll before implementing hard economic reforms.
The election had three other candidates, none of whom earned wide recognition. Ahmed Tantawi, the most prominent among the prospective opponents, suspended his campaign in October after being unsuccessful in collecting the number of signatures required to qualify. His supporters encountered targeted repression in the course of the campaign: more than 10 of his friends and family members and more than 100 of his campaign staff were arrested prior to the election, with the intimidation campaign possibly contributing to his struggle collecting signatures. The Canada-based tech research group CitizenLab confirmed in September that Ahmed Tantawi’s mobile phone had been under attack from Predator spyware, adding that the circumstances contiguous to the attack led them to attribute it “to the Egyptian government with high confidence.”
Constitutional alterations adopted in 2019 added two years to Sisi’s current term, extending it through 2024, though the 2023 elections secured him a third term. Future presidents can’t have more than two six-year terms.
The 2019 modifications to the 2014 constitution re-established the Egyptian parliament as a bicameral body in which members serve five-year terms. The Senate (upper house), consists of 300 seats. 1/3rd of senators are appointed by the president and 2/3rd are elected (half through closed party lists and half in individual seats). The House of Representatives has 568 members, half elected through closed party lists and half in individual seats. The president is authorised to appoint 28 additional members to the House.