Protesters opposing Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi
sit in their camping area at Tahrir Square in Cairo 17 December 2012. Mursi has
won initial backing from Egyptians for a new constitution that he hopes will
steer the country out of crisis, but which opponents say is an Islamist charter
that tramples on minority rights. (Photo: Reuters - Khaled Abdullah)
Egypt's opposition called for more protests on Tuesday after Islamists
backing President Mohammed Mursi claimed victory in the first round of a
referendum it alleges was riddled with polling violations.
The National Salvation Front – a mainly secular opposition coalition – urged Egyptians to "take to the streets on Tuesday to defend their freedoms, prevent fraud and reject the draft constitution" ahead of the next round of voting on December 22.
It claimed "irregularities and violations" marred the initial stage of the referendum last weekend across half of Egypt that Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood said resulted in a 57% "yes" vote with a 32% participation rate, according to its unofficial tally.
But Mursi’s supporters say that Saturday's voting was a testament to Egypt's political awareness and democratic maturity.
The official count will be given after the other half of the country goes to the polls in the second round.
Large protests both for and against the proposed constitution have been staged over the past three weeks, sparking several violent clashes and revealing deep divisions in Egyptian society over Mursi's rule.
The opposition says the constitution weakens human rights, especially those of women, and undermines the independence of judges while strengthening the hand of the military.
It fears Islamists propelled into power after a revolution last year that toppled the 30-year regime of Hosni Mubarak want to establish sharia-style laws.
But Mursi insists that the slender majority support he won in the June presidential elections gives him a mandate for change and that the draft constitution is a key step to securing stability.
Many analysts disagree, believing that the lack of consensus is dragging Egypt into a prolonged political conflict.
The opposition claims that Saturday's first round of the referendum, which took place in the biggest cities of Cairo and Alexandria and in eight other regions, had numerous violations.
Those included monitors not being allowed into some polling stations, judges not present in all as required and some fake judges employed, and women prevented in some cases from casting their ballot.
Several Egyptian human rights and monitoring groups said on Sunday that the irregularities meant the first round must be held again.
The electoral commission, "in the interest of national consensus," must "recognize that it was not capable [of ensuring] good organization and it must redo the referendum," Negad el-Borei, a spokesman for one of the groups which represents lawyers, told AFP.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP)
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
The National Salvation Front – a mainly secular opposition coalition – urged Egyptians to "take to the streets on Tuesday to defend their freedoms, prevent fraud and reject the draft constitution" ahead of the next round of voting on December 22.
It claimed "irregularities and violations" marred the initial stage of the referendum last weekend across half of Egypt that Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood said resulted in a 57% "yes" vote with a 32% participation rate, according to its unofficial tally.
But Mursi’s supporters say that Saturday's voting was a testament to Egypt's political awareness and democratic maturity.
The official count will be given after the other half of the country goes to the polls in the second round.
Large protests both for and against the proposed constitution have been staged over the past three weeks, sparking several violent clashes and revealing deep divisions in Egyptian society over Mursi's rule.
The opposition says the constitution weakens human rights, especially those of women, and undermines the independence of judges while strengthening the hand of the military.
It fears Islamists propelled into power after a revolution last year that toppled the 30-year regime of Hosni Mubarak want to establish sharia-style laws.
But Mursi insists that the slender majority support he won in the June presidential elections gives him a mandate for change and that the draft constitution is a key step to securing stability.
Many analysts disagree, believing that the lack of consensus is dragging Egypt into a prolonged political conflict.
The opposition claims that Saturday's first round of the referendum, which took place in the biggest cities of Cairo and Alexandria and in eight other regions, had numerous violations.
Those included monitors not being allowed into some polling stations, judges not present in all as required and some fake judges employed, and women prevented in some cases from casting their ballot.
Several Egyptian human rights and monitoring groups said on Sunday that the irregularities meant the first round must be held again.
The electoral commission, "in the interest of national consensus," must "recognize that it was not capable [of ensuring] good organization and it must redo the referendum," Negad el-Borei, a spokesman for one of the groups which represents lawyers, told AFP.
(Al-Akhbar, AFP)
River to Sea
Uprooted Palestinian 
The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this Blog!
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