Egyptians have begun voting on constitutional amendments aimed at keeping President el-Sisi in power until 2030.
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The referendum comes amid an unprecedented crackdown on dissent in recent years.
El-Sisi's government has arrested thousands of people, most of them Islamists but also prominent secular activists, and rolled back freedoms won in a 2011 pro-democracy uprising.
The proposed changes were blasted by critics as another major step toward authoritarian rule.
The three-day voting period for the nationwide referendum also deals with proposed changes that would also further enshrine the military's role in politics.
Parliament, packed with el-Sisi supporters, overwhelmingly approved the amendments on Tuesday.
Opposition parties have called on voters to reject the changes, seen by critics as a step backward to authoritarianism eight years after a pro-democracy uprising.
The vote comes amid an unprecedented crackdown by authorities on dissent since the military ouster of an elected but divisive president in 2013.
El-Sisi came to power in 2014 and was re-elected for a second four-year term last year.
Australian Associated Press