Distrust and apathy hit disputed referendum in Egypt

Voters stay away from polling stations
amid growing concerns at government's actions
Saturday 22 December 2012

[ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذه الصورة]
An Egyptian shows he has cast his vote in Fayoum
in the second round of the referendum on a new constitution
. Photograph: Khalil Hamra/AP


The second round of voting in [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط]'s contentious constitutional referendum
was marred by low turnout and delay as the crisis in the country continued.
It was expected that the second round of voting would see an even
lower turnout at the polls than the first round earlier this month,
at which just 32% voted. Friday saw clashes between supporters
of President [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط] and opponents in Alexandria,
resulting in 51 arrests.
The voting process was divided over two stages because of
a shortage of judges to oversee the ballots. Many had gone on strike
in protest at a decree issued by Morsi late last month giving him
judicial immunity. Morsi used the powers in the decree to call for
a referendum on a draft constitution, whose validity has been disputed.
The first round of voting saw 56% in favour of passing the draft constitution.
Major cities such as Cairo favoured rejecting the draft,
but there was a higher percentage of yes votes in the countryside.
Hours before polls closed, Morsi's vice-president, Mahmoud Mekki,
announced his resignation. The move was in part expected
since the new charter would eliminate the vice presidency post.
But Mekki hinted that the hurried departure
could be linked to Morsi's policies.
"I have realized a while ago that the nature of politics don't suit
my professional background as a judge," his resignation letter,
read on state TV, said. He said he had first submitted his resignation
last month but events forced him to stay on.
If, as seems likely, the constitution is approved, the divisions of
the past few weeks between Morsi's Islamist supporters
and secular and liberal opposition are set to continue.
"I don't feel there will be stability after the voting, irrespective of the outcome,
because all those involved don't care about the country and are
only motivated by self-interest," said Mustafa Amin, a voter at a Giza poll station.
Although the draft constitution is expected to be passed with a thin margin,
the opposition to it and the furore it has caused remain entrenched.
"The whole thing has become a mess," said retired army general Hussein Saleh.
"We need stability irrespective of who's in charge, and we're not
getting that," he said. Asked if the military should step in,
he responded: "No, the army has no place in politics."
Opposition to the [ندعوك للتسجيل في المنتدى أو التعريف بنفسك لمعاينة هذا الرابط] has solidified. Saleh's daughter,
Ghada, placed the blame for Egypt's current ills squarely at the
Brotherhood's doorstep. "Muslims have never killed Muslims
in Egypt before on such a scale," she said, in reference to
the 5 December violence outside the presidential palace between
Morsi supporters and opponents in which nine people died.
"The Brotherhood does not own Islam. We have lived side by side
with Christians who have a right to this country as much as we do,
and now the Brotherhood is creating divisions. They have lost credibility,
and we will not believe anything they say in future."