Egypt's El-Sisi Will Not Seek Third Term, But Mum on Second

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi told CNBC that he will not seek a third term, but did not address a run for a second term when his current term expires.

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El-Sisi explained that he will respect the constitution and not seek another stint as Egypt's president.

"It doesn't suit me as a president to stay one more day against the will of the Egyptians. This is not talk for TV, those are principles I embrace and am keen on," he stated.

“We will not interfere with (the constitution)... I am with preserving two four-year terms,” Sisi added.

Member of parliament and staunch el-Sisi supporter, Ismail Nasreddin, had briefly launched a campaign to extend the presidential term to six years.

Egypt's constitution states that a president can only be re-elected for one four-year term once – serving a maximum of eight years in office.

"There is no president who will sit in the chair without the will of the Egyptian people," Sisi declared. "We will not interfere with (the constitution) ... I am with preserving two four-year terms."

In the interview, which aired Monday night, el-Sisi disclosed that the upcoming elections will take place in March or April next year.

El-Sisi came to power following 2013 ousting of Mohamed Morsi, before securing a whopping 90 percent of the votes in his 2014 win.

The constitution was amended to restrict presidential term limits after Morsi's removal.

On Monday, the Egyptian leader was issued a challenge by human rights lawyer and opposition leader Khaled Ali, who stated his intention to run against el-Sisi in the 2018 presidential election.