So Much For the Uprising

Eight years after Egyptians revolted against a president who t ruled for three decades, they're now empowering another to extend his stay in office.

Egyptians last week overwhelmingly approved a package of constitutional amendments that further entrench President Fattah el-Sisi's  hold on power.

The new measures give him further control over courts, extend his current term to six years and allow him to run for an additional six-year term in 2024.  Another measure would expand Sisi's power over the legislative branch by creating an upper house known as a senate. The president would be able to handpick a third of the members.

"These amendments aim to expand military trials for civilians, undermine the independence of the judiciary, and strengthen impunity for human rights violations by members of the security forces, furthering the climate of repression that already exists in the country," Amnesty International's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, Magdalena Mughrabi, said.