03/21/2011, 00.00
EGYPT
Send to a friend

Vote rigging and religious manipulation allows ‘Yes’ to win in constitutional referendum

About 77 per cent of voters say yes to changes. The outcome has disappointed many of those who took part in the revolution. They were hoping for a more radical transformation of the constitution. Sharia remains the principal source for Egyptian law. Speaking to AsiaNews, source slams manipulation by Muslim Brotherhood.

Cairo (AsiaNews) – Egyptians by a margin of 77 per cent voted in favour of changes to the constitution of 1951. However, Sharia will remain the principal source of Egyptian law. The result is a major disappointment for many of the young people who took part in the Jasmine Revolution who had hope to give the country a fresh new look based on equal rights for all its citizens irrespective of religious creed.

Sources told AsiaNews that the referendum was marred by fraud and manipulation by Muslim extremists. “This vote was oriented along confession lines. The Muslim Brotherhood said that those who voted ‘Yes’ were for Islam and against Christians who wanted to remove Sharia as the source of law,” a source said.

Eyewitnesses also said that they saw vote rigging and vote buying. In the poorest neighbourhoods, extremists handed out bags of flower, meat and oil to ‘Yes’ voters.

EUHRO, an election monitoring NGO, also reported cases of discrimination against members of the Coptic community. In many polling stations, Christian and Muslim voters were required to cast their ballots in separate boxes. In some predominantly Coptic areas, voting was delayed and many voters were unable to vote. In Abu Hennes (Upper Egypt), a mostly Coptic area, there were only three polling stations for 20,000 voters.

With constitutional reforms now approved, early parliamentary and presidential elections can take place in September.

“The young people who took part in the uprising are not organised or able to face an election campaign,” the source said. “They do not have a recognisable leader or a programme. The Muslim Brotherhood and Mubarak’s National Democratic Party are the only organised parties and could benefit to win.”

However, predicting the future is impossible according to the source. How people will react must yet to be seen. “The high turnout at the referendum and the more than 20 per cent who want radical changes to the constitution represent a small step for the country towards democracy.” (S.C.)

TAGs
Send to a friend
Printable version
CLOSE X
See also
The junta organises election rigging to pass the constitution
14/04/2008
Tahrir Square flooded by people who want to continue the Jasmine Revolution
25/01/2012
Neither the military nor extremists in the new Egypt, says young Copt
24/11/2011
After the Arab spring, is Egypt heading for a rigid winter?
26/10/2011
Law to stifle protest and demonstrations
25/03/2011


Newsletter

Subscribe to Asia News updates or change your preferences

Subscribe now
“L’Asia: ecco il nostro comune compito per il terzo millennio!” - Giovanni Paolo II, da “Alzatevi, andiamo”