Egyptians vote on hotly contested sharia-based constitution
Egyptians
have voted in the first round of a referendum on a disputed new
constitution that has split the country in two and sparked deadly
protests. Liberal opposition slammed the document as too Islamist,
curtailing the rights of minority groups.
RT,
15
December, 2012
The
preliminary results have started to emerge as the polling stations
officially closed at 11:00 pm local time.
The
Muslim Brotherhood has said on its official English-language
website,that the votes have been counted in 2230 out of the 6376
polling stations with 65.6 per cent of the voters saying “YES”
and 34.4 per cent saying “NO,” the Ikhwanweb site reported.
The
Egypt Independent newspaper has reported that the balance tipped
toward a “NO” vote in the country’s second largest city of
Alexandria.
At
least four people have been injured since the constitutional
referendum kicked off in Egypt, says the country's Health Ministry as
tensions continue to run high in the country.
Polls
opened at 8:00 pm local time (6:00 GMT) in Cairo, Alexandria and
eight other regions in the first round of voting. Egypt’s remaining
regions will get their chance to vote on December 22.
Furthermore,
expat voting has been extended until Monday by the Egyptian
government.
Meanwhile
the opposition accused the Muslim Brotherhood of attempted "vote
rigging" in Saturday's referendum. The National Salvation Front,
in a statement, expressed "deep concern… over the number of
irregularities and violations in the holding of the referendum,”
saying it “points to a clear desire for vote rigging by the Muslim
Brotherhood."
The
referendum has been split over two days as there are not enough
members of the judiciary to monitor the process after some pledged to
boycott the vote. If the new constitution is rejected, another
document will have to be drafted in a process that could several more
months.
Over
half of Egypt’s 51 million registered voters were expected to make
their way to the polls this Saturday.
An Egyptian casts his vote in a referendum on the new Egyptian constitution at a polling station in Mahalla el-Kubra, about 110 km (68 miles) north of Cairo December 15, 2012.(Reuters / Mohamed Abd El Ghany)
Tensions
over the vote reached a boiling point in Egypt’s second largest
city Alexandria on Friday night as 2,000 Morsi supporters gathered
outside the city’s central Mosque in support of the constitution.
Prominent
preacher Ahmed Mahalawy called for worshippers coming out of Friday
prayer ceremonies to vote “yes” to the new document. The movement
triggered the ire of the opposition protesters who laid siege to the
mosque and scuffled with Islamist Brotherhood supporters, trapping
Cleric Mahalawy in the building.
At
least 19
people were
injured in the ensuing violence and several cars were torched as
security forces were deployed to bring the situation under control.
On
Saturday, the Supreme Electoral Commission ordered18 polling stations
in Alexandria to shut down. The commision cited lack of supervision
by judges.
Egyptian women prepare to cast their ballots in a vote on a new constitution supported by the ruling Islamists but bitterly contested by a secular-leaning opposition at a polling station in the Cairo neighbourhood of Shubra on December 15, 2012.(AFP Photo / Patrick Baz)
The
new constitution has been the source of escalating tensions at an
already delicate time for Egypt’s Mohamed Morsi. The document was
hurriedly approved two weeks ago by Egypt’s
Islamist-dominated Constituent
Assembly,
who said that the charter was based around the principles of Sharia
law. The opposition also decried sweeping powers that Morsi granted
himself, effectively stripping the judiciary of the right to annul
the Islamist-dominated constituent assembly.
The
government’s announcement of the draft constitution was greeted by
opposition ire and sparked deadly protests, as thousands flocked to
Cairo’s presidential palace to voice their disapproval of the
country’s ruling Islamist faction. In response, President Morsi was
forced to relinquish the extra powers he had assumed to calm public
rage.
He
also deployed Egypt’s military to aid the police as a temporary
measure until the results of the referendum are known.
The
opposition, after failing to derail the referendum, has had little
time to organize a rival campaign to scrap the charter, and has
threatened to boycott the second round if it decides that the vote is
unfair.
An Egyptian policeman guards a polling station as women line up to vote on a new constitution supported by the ruling Islamists but bitterly contested by a secular-leaning opposition at a polling station in the Cairo neighbourhood of Shubra on December 15, 2012.(AFP Photo / Patrick Baz)
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