CAIRO, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian House of Representatives said on Sunday that it will finish all procedures related to the anticipated constitutional amendments by mid-April for a public referendum.
"The national election commission will invite voters to cast their ballots on the amendments when they are approved by the required majority of parliament members," the parliament said in a statement.
The amendments will include "changing the presidential term to six years instead of four" and "the possibility of appointing one or more vice presidents."
The amendments were initially proposed in early February by 115 lawmakers from "Support Egypt" pro-government parliamentary bloc, and 485 out of the parliament's total 596 members voted for them in mid-February.
They also seek to establish a senate as a second chamber of the parliament next to the House of Representatives and deepen the role of the army as the protector of vital and public facilities and the defender of the country's democracy and civil state.
The proposed amendments also allow current President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi to join the next presidential election after his second term ends in 2022.
Article 140 of Egypt's 2014 constitution limits presidency to two consecutive four-year terms, while Article 226 allows the head of state or one-fifth of the parliament members to request amendment of one or more articles of the constitution.
