Egyptians vent anger at constitution
Probe ordered into vote on draft charter
CAIRO – Thousands of Egyptian protesters marched on the presidential palace and Cairo’s downtown Tahrir Square on Tuesday to protest a contentious Islamist-backed draft constitution, after the country’s Justice Ministry ordered a probe into allegations of widespread voting irregularities during Saturday’s first round of voting on the document.
Since the country’s political crisis erupted more than three weeks ago, the opposition has kept the pressure on the government of President Mohammed Morsi with mass marches that at times have seen turnouts of hundreds of thousands. Morsi’s Islamist supporters have countered with rallies of their own.
Chanting “down with Brotherhood rule,” and “your constitution is void,” the opposition made its first major street push since Saturday’s round of voting on the constitution. Preliminary results showed that 56 per cent of voters cast “yes” ballots. The second round of voting is set for Saturday. The opposition fears that large Islamist constituencies in rural and upper Egypt will increase the votes in favour.
Turnout was also low in Egypt’s 150 diplomatic missions, which opened their doors for a half million Egyptian expatriates to vote.
Preliminary results showed stark difference between Egyptians in Arab Gulf countries and elsewhere.
In Washington, D.C., more than 70 per cent of voters said “no,” while in Saudi city of Jeddah, more than 80 per cent voted “yes.”
Islamists have suggested that passage of the constitution would give them a clearer mandate, but the opposition groups say the process has been rushed, turnout has been low and irregularities in the voting have been rife. They insist that the constitution requires more than a simple majority, and many have called for the referendum voting to be repeated because of irregularities. The Brotherhood says the country’s Elections Committee can adjudicate complaints.
The protests also follow closely on new blows in the conflict between Morsi and the judiciary.
More leading judges announced a boycott of the second leg of voting, and the prosecutor general Talaat Abdullah submitted his resignation just a month after Morsi appointed him. Abdullah had come under fire from fellow prosecutors, who accused him of pressuring a judge not to release some 130 anti-Morsi protesters from detention.