Egypt's Parliament has begun deliberations over constitutional amendments that could allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in office till 2034 — 12 more years after his current, second term expires in 2022.

The discussions are to lead to a vote later in the day or on Thursday, after which the text of the amendments would be finalized by a special legislative committee for a final decision within two months.

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel-Al opened Wednesday's session, according to a statement sent to the media.

The 596-seat assembly has already given its preliminary approval to the changes last week. The amendments are near certain to be overwhelmingly approved by the legislature, packed with el-Sissi's supporters, but will also need to be put to a national referendum to become law.