Egypt military guards state ahead of vote over charter

Egypt’s military assumed responsibility Monday for protecting state institutions and maintaining security ahead of a Dec. 15 constitutional referendum, as the country braced for another round of mass demonstrations by the supporters of the country’s Islamist president and the liberal opposition over the disputed charter.

The referendum on a contentious new constitution lies at the heart of a bitter political battle that has deeply polarized Egypt and triggered some of the worst street violence between backers and opponents of President Mohammed Morsi since he took power in June as the country’s first democratically elected leader.

So far, Morsi has stood firm on the referendum, refusing to yield to opposition demands that he scrap the vote scheduled for Saturday. The opposition, meanwhile, was still trying to decide late Monday whether to boycott the referendum or rally Egyptians to vote “no” to the draft constitution, and hoping that a massive turnout for a rally Tuesday would force the president to cancel the balloting.

“We still have a chance, with popular rejection, to stop the referendum,” said Basil Adel, a former lawmaker and liberal activist.

Egypt’s political crisis began on Nov. 22 when Morsi issued a decree granting himself — and the Islamistdominated panel writing the constitution — immunity from judicial oversight or challenge. Those decrees sparked mass demonstrations, with opponents saying they were issued initially to protect the draft charter from the judiciary.

The constituent assembly then hurriedly approved the draft constitution in a marathon overnight session, further inflaming those who claim that Morsi and his Islamist allies are monopolizing power and trying to force their agenda into practice.

That prompted hundreds of thousands of the president’s opponents to take to the streets in massive rallies. Morsi’s supporters responded with huge demonstrations of their own, which led to clashes in the streets that left at least six people dead and hundreds wounded.