Egyptian parliament will vote on new provisional appointments and cabinet reshuffling

Egypt’s parliament votes today to confirm 16 provisional governors and 23 deputies appointed by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on November 27. The parliament will also vote on a cabinet reshuffle of ten portfolios, including health, supply and education.

On April 20, voters supported a constitutional referendum that extends al-Sisi’s current term from four to six years and allows him to run for a third term in 2024. Following the amendment, presidential influence over the country’s democratic institutions has increased; parliament approved two laws in June granting the president power to select the heads of six judicial bodies.

Al-Sisi—a former general—has also increased military influence in Egyptian cabinet; the current defence, transportation and interior ministers are held by former military personnel. Eleven of the 16 governors to be confirmed today come from military backgrounds.

Some groups in Egypt have opposed al-Sisi’s efforts to concentrate power but the president has justified his actions as a strategy to fight the Muslim Brotherhood terror, claiming that his discretion in judicial appointments will expedite the execution process. Given voter and parliamentary support, it is likely that presidential term limits will be eliminated as al-Sisi’s power grows in the medium term.

Wake up smarter with an assessment of the stories that will make headlines in the next 24 hours. Download The Daily Brief.