Sisi will remain president until 2030. Egyptians will vote abroad on constitutional amendments

Egyptian voters began voting abroad on Friday in a referendum on constitutional amendments that would extend the rule of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi until 2030 and expand the role of the army.

Voting began at 9 am local time and lasted for nine days and lasted for three days. Polling stations were set up in Egypt's embassies and a number of consulates. Voting will begin on Saturday for three days.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that 140 polling stations have been established in 124 countries with Egyptian missions abroad.

The National Electoral Commission announced the non-voting in four countries are Yemen, Libya, Syria and Somalia, and this ban repeated in the recent elections because of the security situation in those countries that do not allow the completion of benefits.

At home, more than 61 million voters are entitled to vote, but observers expect a significant turnout in voting, with a general feeling that the outcome of the referendum is decided upon.

Under the amendments, the presidential term is extended to six years and the current president is allowed to extend his four-year term for two years until the end of 2024. He may run for another term, which may keep him in power until 2030.

The current constitution limits the presidency to two consecutive terms, each of four years.

In addition to extending the presidential term, the amendments also provide for the restoration of the former Shura Council, which had been abolished under the 2012 Constitution, following the 2011 revolution that led to the fall of the Hosni Mubarak regime.

The amendments also included a 25% quota for women in parliament, and the president may appoint one or more deputies.

No opposition
The streets of Cairo and other cities are filled with banners calling for a "yes" vote on changes to the 2014 constitution.

Efforts to extend Sisi's mandate are not expected to be widely opposed, although human rights organizations have called it "unconstitutional" and said it aims to "consolidate authoritarianism".

The Egyptian opposition rejects these amendments, warning that Sisi - who came to power after a military coup in 2013 - will continue to control power and eliminate the principle of circulation, as well as from the control of the army over the joints of the state and the control of the executive branch over the judiciary.

New York-based security analyst Sofan Center believes the constitutional amendments "will strengthen Sissi's grip on the political system in Egypt."

The company said in a statement on Thursday that "there is little public opposition to the constitutional amendments, a possible outcome of the repressive nature of the Egyptian government."

The Sisi regime has been criticized by international human rights organizations for cracking down on political opponents. International human rights organizations said in a joint statement on Wednesday that the current national climate in Egypt "is devoid of any space where a referendum can be held with guarantees of neutrality and impartiality."

Opposition to constitutional amendments remains almost exclusively on social networking sites, with the vast majority of the media, especially television, favoring the Sisi and deliberately reducing the tone of critical voices, usually in exile.