Voters support military-backed constitution in Egypt
- 11 years ago
In Egypt, more than 98 percent of those who voted in a constitutional referendum supported the government. But just over a third of the electorate took part.
Nabil Salib, Head of the Supreme Election Committee, commented on the referendum: “This is our constitution and the referendum was a success,” he said.
“More than 20 million voters participated in the process with a total percentage of participation of an unprecedented 38.6 percent.”
The result comes as no surprise. There was almost no campaign against the new constitution. It was supported by Egyptians who also backed the army overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July.
Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood had called for a boycott of the vote.
Egypt’s top general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the ouster of Mursi.
He’s expected to announce a bid for the presidency within days.
Brotherhood sympathisers hold Sisi responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Mursi supporters killed in a crackdown on the movement. Other Egyptians see him as the kind of strong man needed to restore stability after three years of turmoil.
Nabil Salib, Head of the Supreme Election Committee, commented on the referendum: “This is our constitution and the referendum was a success,” he said.
“More than 20 million voters participated in the process with a total percentage of participation of an unprecedented 38.6 percent.”
The result comes as no surprise. There was almost no campaign against the new constitution. It was supported by Egyptians who also backed the army overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July.
Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood had called for a boycott of the vote.
Egypt’s top general Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led the ouster of Mursi.
He’s expected to announce a bid for the presidency within days.
Brotherhood sympathisers hold Sisi responsible for the deaths of hundreds of Mursi supporters killed in a crackdown on the movement. Other Egyptians see him as the kind of strong man needed to restore stability after three years of turmoil.