Background
Hitherto ruled by a monarchical dynasty, Egypt became a republic on 18 June 1953, in the wake of the Egyptian Revolution of 1952. The first President to take office was President Mohamed Naguib. The fourth president was Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, the President of Egypt since October 14, 1981, following the assassination of former President Mohammed Anwar El-Sadat.
In early 2011, following the Tunisian Revolution, there was a revolution in Egypt. Mass protest compelled Mubarak, the leader of the National Democratic Party, to resign on 11 February 2011, ending his fifth term in office. He was replaced by the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces headed by Field Marshall Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, which dissolved the Parliament of Egypt, suspended the Constitution of Egypt, and promised free, open presidential and parliamentary elections before the year's end and within six months. Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik was sworn in as Prime Minister on January 29, 2011, in response to the 2011 Egyptian revolution; he was succeeded on 5 March by Essam Sharaf, in response to continued protests.
On 19 March, a constitutional referendum was voted on and passed reforming the laws surrounding the power and election of the presidency, limiting the presidency to two four-year terms, providing judicial supervision of elections, requiring the president to appoint a deputy, calling for a commission to draft a new constitution following the parliamentary election, and providing easier access to presidential elections by candidates (30,000 signatures from at least 15 provinces, 30 members of a chamber of the legislature, or nomination by a party holding at least one seat in the legislature).
Read more about this topic: Government Of Egypt
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