Open to longer term, Egyptian concedes

CAIRO — Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi said he does not favor amending the constitution to extend term limits, but he appeared to leave open the possibility of his remaining in power beyond two four-year terms.

El-Sissi was elected to office in 2014, a year after he led the military’s ouster of a freely elected but divisive president, the Islamist Mohammed Morsi of the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood. He is expected to seek a second term in office in elections next year but has yet to make a formal announcement.

El-Sissi’s comments, made in an interview with CNBC television that aired late Monday, were his first to publicly detail his thoughts on the constitutional clause limiting presidents to eight years in office.

Loyal lawmakers and pro-government media figures have in recent months been calling for the constitution to be amended to lengthen presidential terms beyond four years, arguing that they are not long enough to allow el-Sissi to fully implement his ambitious plans to overhaul the economy, upgrade infrastructure and crush an insurgency by Islamic militants.

But he later appeared to give himself some leeway, saying he did not want amendments “in this period,” and suggesting he might remain in power if it were in accordance with “the people’s will.”