President of Egypt

The president of the Arab Republic of Egypt (Egyptian Arabic: رئيس جمهورية مصر العربية, romanized: Ra'īs gumhūriyyat Miṣr al-ʻArabiyyah) is the head of state of Egypt. This important role means the president leads the country and represents its people both at home and around the world. Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the Supreme commander of the Armed Forces and heads the executive branch of the Egyptian government.

Since the Egyptian revolution of 1952, Egypt has had a president who holds the highest office in the land. Over time, the powers and duties of the president have changed with each new version of the constitution. The president works with other leaders, like the prime minister, to guide the country.

After the end of the monarchy in 1953, six presidents have led Egypt. The first was Mohamed Naguib, followed by Gamal Abdel Nasser, Anwar Sadat, Hosni Mubarak, and Mohamed Morsi. Today, the president is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who has held the position since June 8, 2014. The president's role is vital in shaping Egypt's future and maintaining its place in the world.

History

The first president of Egypt was Mohamed Naguib, who helped lead the Egyptian Revolution of 1952 with Gamal Abdel Nasser. This revolution ended the rule of King Farouk and British control over Egypt. Naguib became the first president when Egypt became a republic in 1953.

Naguib stepped down in 1954, and Gamal Abdel Nasser became president in 1956. Nasser also led the United Arab Republic from 1958 to 1971 until his death in 1970. He was followed by Anwar Sadat, who worked toward peace with Israel and won a Nobel Peace Prize before his death in 1981. Then Hosni Mubarak served as president for nearly 30 years until he left office in 2011 after many people protested.

In 2012, Mohamed Morsi became the first president chosen by a popular vote, but he was removed from office in 2013 after more protests. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi became president in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 and again in 2023.

Old electoral system

In the past, Egypt’s way of choosing a president was similar to how France did it. Leaders were picked by a group called the National Assembly and then approved by a vote from all people. This changed with updates in 2005 and 2007, making it so that people could directly vote for their president in a secret ballot. These changes aimed to make sure elections were fair and that many different candidates could run. A special group was set up to watch over the elections, and courts could check if the laws about elections followed the rules.

Presidential powers

The president of Egypt is the most important leader in the country. They choose the prime minister and the cabinet, and they are in charge of the government and the military. The president also makes big decisions about foreign countries and can sign laws when the parliament is not meeting.

After big changes in 2011, the president shares some powers with the prime minister. Today, under the rules from 2014, the president is the head of the country and the government. They help make plans for the country, represent Egypt to other nations, and can forgive people who broke the law. In special times of danger, the president can take extra steps to keep everyone safe.

Election

Elections for the president of Egypt happen within sixty days before the current president's term ends.

Last election

Main article: 2023 Egyptian presidential election

Requirements and candidacy

To become president of Egypt, a person must meet certain rules. They need to be an Egyptian citizen, born to Egyptian parents without any other country's citizenship. They also need to have served in the military or been excused from it, and must be at least forty years old.

Extra rules for running for president say that candidates need support from either 20 members of the House of Representatives or signatures from 25,000 people in 15 different areas of Egypt, with at least 1,000 signatures from each area.

Presidential Election Commission

Changes to the constitution created a "Presidential Election Commission" to oversee the election process. This group has ten members, led by the chief justice of the Supreme Constitutional Court. It includes important judges and five neutral public figures chosen by government bodies.

The commission makes decisions by a vote of seven members. It handles all parts of the election, from accepting candidates to counting votes and announcing the results. Its decisions about the election cannot be challenged. The commission works for five years and can create smaller groups to help watch the election process. All voting happens in one day.

Inauguration and oath of office

When a new president begins their job, they must make a special promise. This promise is required by the country's rules. The president says, "I promise to follow our system's rules, respect our laws, care for the people, and protect our country's land." This promise shows that the president will work for the good of everyone in Egypt.

Term(s) of office

Under the previous rules, the president of Egypt served for four years and could only serve two terms, whether one after the other or with a break in between.

On 14 February 2019, the Egyptian parliament voted to change the rules. They decided to make presidential terms six years long instead of four. They also allowed the current president, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, to serve a third term. These changes were approved by the people in the 2019 Egyptian constitutional referendum. While in office, the president cannot belong to a political party. If a new president is chosen before the current president's time is up, the current president stays in charge until their term ends.

Succession

If the president of Egypt cannot do their job for a little while, the vice president or the prime minister takes over for a short time. But they cannot make big changes like dissolving the parliament or removing the cabinet.

If the president's job becomes completely empty or they can't do it anymore, the Speaker of the People's Assembly steps in until a new president is chosen. If the People's Assembly isn't meeting, the President of the Supreme Constitutional Court takes over instead. Neither of these people can make big changes either.

The People's Assembly then says the president's job is open, and a new president is chosen within sixty days.

Although the constitution does not say much about the vice president in this process, it has become a tradition for the People's Assembly to choose a vice president when the president's job becomes empty. Both Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarak were vice-presidents when the president's job became empty.

Resignation

The president can choose to leave their job by telling the People's Assembly.

Gamal Abdel Nasser once said he would leave after a tough war but changed his mind because many people in Egypt wanted him to stay. President Mubarak also left his job on 11 February 2011 during big protests asking for changes.

Official residences

The president of Egypt has eight official homes and guest houses. The main home and office is Heliopolis Palace in Cairo. Other important homes include:

• Abdeen Palace, in Old Cairo;
• Koubbeh Palace, in Cairo;
• Ras Al-Teen Palace, in Alexandria;
• Montaza Palace, in Alexandria;
• Al-Tahra Palace, in Cairo;
• Al-Oroba Palace, in Cairo.

List of presidents

Main article: List of presidents of Egypt

The president of Egypt is the most important leader of the country. This person is the head of state and also leads the government's work. The president also serves as the top commander of the country's armed forces.