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Egyptians Vote on New Constitution in Referendum Egyptians Vote on New Constitution in Referendum
(about 3 hours later)
CAIRO — Egyptians trundled to the polls on Tuesday for the third referendum in three years to approve a new constitution, this time to validate the military ouster of their first fairly elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.CAIRO — Egyptians trundled to the polls on Tuesday for the third referendum in three years to approve a new constitution, this time to validate the military ouster of their first fairly elected president, Mohamed Morsi of the Muslim Brotherhood.
The level of turnout will be the most closely watched measure of success for the plebiscite, widely viewed as the launch of the presidential campaign by the military leader who removed Mr. Morsi, General Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi. The level of turnout will be the most closely watched measure of success for the plebiscite, widely viewed as the presidential campaign kickoff of Gen. Abdul-Fattah el-Sisi, the military leader who removed Mr. Morsi.
Almost everyone expects those who do vote to support the charter in a landslide, and at several polling places Tuesday many voters expected a nearly unanimous result.Almost everyone expects those who do vote to support the charter in a landslide, and at several polling places Tuesday many voters expected a nearly unanimous result.
“What? Everybody is voting yes to the constitution!,” one man leaving a polling place exclaimed when he mistakenly thought he had overheard another voter say he had cast his ballot against it. “No, I meant I voted against the last one!,” that voter, Sami Hadid, 73, clarified, referring to the constitution drafted by an Islamist-led assembly and approved in the previous referendum a little more than one year ago. “What? Everybody is voting yes to the constitution!” one man leaving a polling place exclaimed when he mistakenly thought he had overheard another voter say he had cast his ballot against it.
The debate over the charter has been one-sided, to say the least. The Brotherhood, the Islamist group that had dominated Egypt’s free elections and now constitutes the main opposition, is boycotting the vote as an attempt to legitimate an illegal coup. The government has declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organization, jailed its leaders, seized its assets, and criminalized membership. It has shut down all the sympathetic Egyptian media outlets and arrested activists for even attempting to hang signs or stickers opposing the new charter. “No, I meant I voted against the last one,” that voter, Sami Hadid, 73, clarified, referring to the constitution drafted by an Islamist-led assembly and approved in the previous referendum a little more than one year ago.
At least seven members of Strong Egypt, a moderate Islamist party, have been arrested for attempting to hang posters against the charter, moving the party to boycott the vote rather than face more arrests. Another two women were arrested Tuesday for attempting to put up opposition signs as well, state media reported. The debate over the charter has been one-sided, to say the least. The Brotherhood, the Islamist group that dominated Egypt’s free elections and now constitutes the main opposition, is boycotting the vote as an attempt to legitimize an illegal coup. The government has declared the Brotherhood a terrorist organization, jailed its leaders, seized its assets and criminalized membership. It has shut down all sympathetic Egyptian media outlets and arrested activists for even trying to hang signs or place stickers opposing the new charter.
By Tuesday afternoon, a small bomb had gone off near a court building in the Imbaba neighborhood of Giza, damaging a court building but injuring no one. The interior ministry officials had reported that at least five civilians were killed, at least eleven injured, and dozens arrested in clashes between security forces and what they said were Brotherhood members attempting to disrupt the vote. At least seven members of Strong Egypt, a moderate Islamist party, have been arrested for trying to hang posters against the charter, moving the party to boycott the vote rather than face more arrests. Two more women were arrested Tuesday for trying to put up opposition signs, state media reported.
Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim had warned in a television interview last week that “any attempt to disrupt the referendum or to prevent citizens from voting will be confronted by a level of force and severity that has not been seen before.” In official statements, the Brotherhood has told its members to stay away from polling places to avoid police violence. By Tuesday afternoon, a small bomb had gone off near a court building in the Imbaba neighborhood of Giza, across the river from Cairo, damaging a court building but injuring no one. By nightfall, the Ministry of Health said eight people had died in violence connected to the voting. The Muslim Brotherhood said at least four of the dead were civilians, including a child, killed by the police, while the Interior Ministry said those four had been killed by members of the Muslim Brotherhood trying to disrupt the vote. Dozens of other Egyptians alleged to be members of the Brotherhood were arrested during the day.
On the other side, state-run and private television networks--- controlled by a small elite hostile to the Islamists-- signs hymns to the constitution with a single voice. And Tuesday the streets were crowded with banners urging, “come down and vote,” “you will be judged on your vote,” or, “"Vote yes to the constitution and no to terrorism,” Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim warned in a television interview last week, “Any attempt to disrupt the referendum or to prevent citizens from voting will be confronted by a level of force and severity that has not been seen before.” In official statements, the Brotherhood has told its members to stay away from polling places to avoid police violence.
“The state is proposing this charter with the logic of: 'you are either with me or with terrorism,’" said Ahmed Ragheb, of the National Community for Human Rights. On the other side, state-run and private television networks, controlled by a small elite hostile to the Islamists, sing hymns to the constitution with a single voice. And on Tuesday the streets were crowded with banners saying, “Come down and vote,” “You will be judged on your vote” and “Vote yes to the constitution and no to terrorism.”
Some said the silencing of public dissent exceeded even the ritualistic plebiscites that punctuated the 30 year rule of former President Hosni Mubarak. “The state is proposing this charter with the logic of: ‘You are either with me or with terrorism,'  ” said Ahmed Ragheb, a human rights activist.
“This time it has surpassed Mubarak at the height of his authoritarianism,” said Hossam Bahgat, the founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights. Some said the silencing of public dissent exceeded even the ritualistic plebiscites that punctuated the 30-year rule of Hosni Mubarak, the former president.
For virtually the first time since the 1989 one-candidate referendum granting Mr. Mubarak a fourth term, Mr. Bahgat said he planned to sit out the vote. “Like most Egyptians, I guess that I am indifferent,” he said. “This time it has surpassed Mubarak at the height of his authoritarianism,” said Hossam Bahgat, founder of the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, an independent civil liberties organization.
The lines at polling places around Cairo seemed far smaller Tuesday than they did during the previous constitutional referendum, in December 2012, and reports from around the country suggested smaller crowds as well. But the vote will take place over two days, voters have often waited until they get off work, and the ultimate turnout was impossible to forecast. (Egyptian state radio reported long lines and big crowds everywhere.) For virtually the first time since a 1989 one-candidate vote granting Mr. Mubarak a fourth term, Mr. Bahgat said he planned to sit out the vote. “Like most Egyptians, I guess that I am indifferent,” he said.
About a third of the electorate turned out to vote on the last charter, which passed by a margin of about two to one but was rejected by a majority in Cairo. The referendum had followed a noisy debate in which anti-Islamist politicians, judges, diplomats, and most of the privately owned media attacked it for opening a door to the future religious restrictions on individual liberties. The lines at polling places around Cairo seemed far smaller Tuesday than they did during the previous constitutional referendum, in December 2012, and reports from around the country suggested smaller crowds as well. But the vote will take place over two days, and voters often wait to visit the polls until after they get off work, so the ultimate turnout was impossible to forecast. (Egyptian state radio reported long lines and big crowds everywhere.)
The new charter retains the main clause stipulating that the principles of Islamic law are the wellspring of Egyptian jurisprudence. It removes a more controversial clause that sought to constrain the way judges interpreted those principles, defining them according to the broad body outlines of mainstream Sunni Muslim scholarship. But the ultraconservative Islamist party Al Nour is still supporting the charter, accepting its fidelity to Islamic law. About a third of the electorate turned out to vote on the last charter, which passed by a ratio of about two to one nationwide but was rejected by a majority in Cairo. The referendum had followed a noisy debate in which anti-Islamist politicians, judges, diplomats and most of the privately owned media attacked it for opening a door to future religious restrictions on individual liberties.
The biggest revisions, though, increase the power and autonomy of the military, the police and the judiciary—the three branches of the old Egyptian bureaucracy that played in biggest role in Mr. Morsi’s overthrow. The new charter retains the main clause of the current one, stipulating that the principles of Islamic law are the wellspring of Egyptian jurisprudence. It removes a more controversial clause that had sought to constrain the way judges interpreted those principles, defining them according to the broad outlines of mainstream Sunni Muslim scholarship.
For those who did vote Tuesday, the referendum had the feeling of a martial pageant soldiers and police surrounded every polling place, and in some places voters leaving the polls paused to get their pictures taken with officers. Even though the Muslim Brotherhood opposes the charter, the ultraconservative Islamist party Al Nour is still supporting it, accepting its fidelity to Islamic law.
“It is all for the love of our country and the love of Sisi!,” crowed Nadia Sayed, 64, sitting with a group of female friends across the street from a polling place in the Nasr City neighborhood after voting. “He will do everything good for our grandchildren,” she said, before the women broke into ululation and song—"Bless the Hands,” a pop-song celebrating the army and police for removing Mr. Morsi. The biggest revisions, though, increase the power and autonomy of the military, the police and the judiciary — the three branches of the old Egyptian bureaucracy that played the biggest roles in Mr. Morsi’s overthrow.
Even in neighborhoods that had been considered Islamist strongholds—from the slums of Imbaba to middle class Nasr City--- it seemed impossible to find a voter who said he or she had voted against the charter, although soldiers and police tried to keep a close watch on journalists conducting interviews. For those who did vote Tuesday, the referendum had the feeling of a martial pageant. Soldiers and police officers surrounded every polling place, and at some of them voters paused to have their pictures taken with officers.
Almost everyone brought up the Brotherhood, volunteering that they voted for the new constitution mainly to be oppose the group, which won successive elections but failed to control the Egyptian bureaucracy, revive the economy or calm the streets. “It is all for the love of our country and the love of Sisi!” crowed Nadia Sayed, 64, sitting with a group of female friends across the street from a polling place in the Nasr City neighborhood of Cairo after voting. “He will do everything good for our grandchildren,” she said, before the women broke into ululation and the pop song “Bless the Hands,” which celebrates the army and the police for removing Mr. Morsi.
“May God avenge us!,” one voter leaving the polling a polling place in Nasr City shouted to journalists. “They made us suffer for the last three years!” Even in neighborhoods that had been considered Islamist strongholds — from the slums of Imbaba to middle-class Nasr City — it seemed impossible to find a voter who said he or she had voted against the charter, although soldiers and police officers tried to keep a close watch on journalists conducting interviews.
Gamal Abdel Tawab, 55, a physician in Imbaba, said he voted for the new constitution “because I love my country, I love my army, and I hate the Muslim Brotherhood.” Almost everyone brought up the Brotherhood, volunteering that they had voted for the new constitution mainly to oppose the group, which won successive elections but failed to control the Egyptian bureaucracy, revive the economy or calm the streets.
Next, he said, he looked forward to voting for a new president: General Sisi. “May God avenge us!” one voter leaving a polling place in Nasr City shouted to journalists. “They made us suffer for the last three years!”
Gamal Abdel Tawab, 55, a physician in Imbaba, said he had voted for the new constitution “because I love my country, I love my army, and I hate the Muslim Brotherhood.”
Next, he said, he looks forward to voting for a new president: General Sisi.