The history of Egypt’s presidents swearing the oath

CAIRO – 2 June 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi will take the constitutional oath of office for his second term before Egypt's Parliament on Saturday to start his second term on June 3.

The event will be the first of its kind witnessed by the Parliament since former President Hosni Mubarak took the oath in 2005. Sisi’s first oath was performed at the Constitutional Court in 2014.

Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal ordered all members to convene on June 2 at 10:30 a.m. to attend the oath stipulated by Article 144 of the Constitution.

The president has defeated his electoral opponent Moussa Mostafa Moussa by 97 percent of valid votes in March, and 90 percent of all votes.

Egypt has a long history of kings and presidents who take the constitutional oath in ceremonies before beginning their governance. Egypt Today presents an overview of the unique and different stories that swearing-in ceremonies have witnessed in Egypt’s modern history.

Farouk took the oath in a national celebration

Being younger than 18 years, the minimum age of assuming the throne, King Farouk did not immediately ascend to the throne after his father's death in 1936. During this time, the country remained under the ruling of the royal guardianship chaired by Farouk's uncle, Prince Mohamed Ali.

As he became of age, King Farouk swore his oath in front of Parliament on July 29, 1937 for the first and last time. The monarchy was abolished following the July 23, 1952 revolution.

Egypt has never witnessed loud celebrations when any of its kings or presidents assumed their constitutional powers as that held for Farouk.

"I swear by God to respect the constitution, the laws of the Egyptian state, and preserve the independence of the nation and the safety of its lands," read the text of the formal oath taken by King Farouk.

Naguib swore in to office before the Cabinet

By the declaration of the republican regime in 1953, following the July 23 revolution, General Mohamed Naguib was sworn in to office in front of the Cabinet and members of the Revolution Command Council.


General Mohamed Naguib was sworn in to office in front of the Cabinet and members of the Revolution Command Council – Courtesy to Youtube


Abdel Nasser took the oath three times

During the celebration, Gamal Abdel Nasser has chanted “we have been entrusted by the General Staff of the War of Mohamed Naguib, Leader of the Revolution, and President of the Republic of Egypt” and the crowds repeated after him.

Three years later, Gamal Abdel-Nasser took the oath in 1956 to become Egypt's second president in front of the ministers in a ceremony at the Police Club. In 1957, Nasser swore the same oath before Parliament, to become the first president to uphold this tradition before the people’s representatives council.


Nasser swore the same oath before Parliament, to become the first president to uphold this tradition before the people’s representatives council– Courtesy to Youtube


In 1958, following the establishment of the United Arab Republic, a short-lived political union consisting of Syria and Egypt, Abdel-Nasser swore the constitutional oath to become the president of this republic.

Five years before his death in 1970, Abdel-Nasser took the oath of office of President of Egypt for the third and last time following a landslide referendum.

Sadat swore to maintain the republican regime

In October 1970, President Anwar Al-Sadat was also sworn in before the Parliament as Egypt's third president.

"I swear to God to maintain the republican regime, to respect the constitution and law, to fully preserve the people's interests and to protect the nation's independence and its territories," Al-Sadat said in front of the House of the People.


President Anwar Al-Sadat was also sworn in before the Parliament as Egypt's third president – Courtesy to Youtube

In October 1976, Al-Sadat took the oath of office as a president a second and last time, before he was assassinated in October 1981.

With the assassination of Al-Sadat, his vice president Hosni Mubarak took the oath to become Egypt's fourth president before Egypt's Parliament in October 1981.
Mubarak swore in as president five times.

Mubarak took the oath in the Parliament; the former Sudanese President Gaafar Muhammad an-Nimeiry attended the ceremony.


Hosni Mubarak took the oath to become Egypt's fourth president before Egypt's Parliament in October 1981– Courtesy to Youtube

On Mubarak’s speech after swearing, he said “Let’s unify our words and join together to build Egypt with love, hope and work.”

Mubarak took the oath three more times after winning three consecutive public referendums in 1987, 1992 and 1999.

Winning Egypt's first multi-candidate presidential elections, Mubarak was sworn in as president for a fifth and last time in 2005.

Morsi took the oath before country's Supreme Constitutional Court

Following the revolution that toppled Mubarak in January 2011, Mohamed Morsi was elected as Egypt's president and took the oath on June 30, 2012 in front of the country's Supreme Constitutional Court as the House of Representatives had been disbanded at this time.


Morsi was elected as Egypt's president and took the oath on June 30, 2012 in front of the country's Supreme Constitutional Court – Courtesy to Youtube

Adly Mansour: Egypt’s interim president

On July 4, 2013, the head of the Constitutional Court Adly Mansour was sworn in as Egypt's interim president in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court following Morsi’s toppling in a popular uprising.

Sisi took the oath for first presidential term

After just a year, Abdel Fatah al-Sisi took the oath in June 2014 in front of the Supreme Constitutional Court after winning the elections.


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi officially took the oath in 2018- screenshot


Sisi took the oath as president with the words: "I swear by God to protect the republican system, to respect the constitution and the law, to safeguard the people's interests, and to preserve the independence of the nation and the unity of its lands."