A coalition of opposition political parties has called on Egyptian voters to reject proposed constitutional amendments that would allow President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi to stay in power until 2030.

The three-day nationwide referendum starts Saturday.

The Civil Democratic Movement, which includes liberal and left-leaning parties, held a news conference Thursday to decry the amendments.

"We want people to go and say no," said Abdel-Aziz al-Husseini of the Karam party.

If passed, Khaled Dawood, another opposition leader and former head of the liberal Dostour, or Constitution party, says "our dream and hope to have a president who is elected once every two terms have come to an end."

El-Sissi came to power in 2014 after removing his predecessor, Islamist president Mohammed Morsi, who hails from the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.