Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi told CNBC over the weekend that he respects the country's constitution, which places a limit of two four-year terms on the presidency.

Referring to the provision in Egypt's 2014 constitution permitting presidents to serve no more than two four-year terms, El-Sisi said: "We will not interfere with it."

"It doesn't suit me as a president to stay one more day against the will of the Egyptians," El-Sisi told the American news channel in an interview published on its website late on Monday.

"This is not talk for TV, those are principles I embrace and am keen on," he said.

Speaking with CNBC reporter Hadley Gamble, the Egyptian leader said: "I am with preserving two four-year terms and not changing it."

He continued: "There is no president who will sit in the chair [of the president] without the will of the Egyptian people. He will not be able to continue another term without the will of the Egyptians."

El-Sisi came to office in 2014 with a landslide victory at the polls, a year after the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi following massive protests against his turbulent one-year rule.

El-Sisi told CNBC that the next presidential elections will take place around March or April 2018, without confirming his intention to run for a second term when his current tenure ends.

His supporters have, however, been petitioning for him to run for the 2018 vote.

On Monday, Egyptian human rights lawyer and opposition leader Khaled Ali announced that he will run against El-Sisi next year, becoming the first person to announce a presidential bid in the upcoming elections.