Voted yes to the Egyptian constitution

Voted yes to the Egyptian constitution

71 percent voted for the Constitution in the second round Saturday, and the final result after two rounds as being a yes-majority of 64 percent, according to Egyptian media. But turnout in the referendum on the constitution, which is essential for the country's future, was only about 32 percent.

Controversial

They were a majority for the controversial constitutional proposal in Egypt.

Photo: Mahmud HAMS / AFP

Polling stations were kept open longer than originally planned Saturday. The constitutional proposal is very controversial. It has been adopted by the Constituent Assembly after the leftist, liberal, female and Christian representatives left the meeting in protest. 

Also, the timing has been disputed. The opposition against President Mohamed Mursi think the referendum is held without the led a thorough debate on the proposal. President Mursi and Islamic brotherhood supports the proposal. 

The same day as the referendum on the new constitution ends in Egypt, was both the Vice President and the Governor of. Vice President Mahmoud Mekky, who is a judge by profession, resigned from his post.

Excited

The process leading up to the referendum has been tense and Mekky took a few weeks ago called for a national dialogue. The meeting was, however, boycotted by the opposition. 

In the first round of the referendum that was conducted a week ago, got the yes side 57 percent of the vote. The vote had to be held in two rounds because there are not enough judges to supervise the process. 

Both the opposition and several human rights organizations claimed that the first round was marked by irregularities and tampering.

Violent prelude

The start of the referendum has been marked by protests and riots. Friday peeled supporters and opponents of the draft constitution together in Alexandria. Within a half hour, 62 people wounded in the clashes. 

Around 250,000 police and soldiers were deployed Saturday to prevent new outbreaks of new unrest. 

Critics of the draft constitution claim that it is pushed through by Islamists without proper debate, and that it did not reflect much of the population. Liberal and secular forces, and women and Christians left the Constitutional Convention in protest against what they claimed was a lack of willingness to compromise from the Islamist side