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Egypt backs Islamist constitution in first round vote – unofficial results — RT

By C. J. Refsland on December 16, 2012 • ( 0 )

Tanks are positioned in front of the presidential palace in Cairo December 15, 2012.(Reuters / Khaled Abdullah Ali Al Mahdi)

Unofficial results say Egypt has backed the controversial sharia-based constitution in the first round of voting, reports Al-Ahram. Voters got behind the document by a narrow margin of 56.5 percent amid opposition allegations of fraud.

The new draft constitution was backed by 56.5% of Egyptians and rejected by 43.5%, Al-Ahram reported Sunday. Egypt’s capital Cairo has reportedly voted against the constitution.

The percentage given by the media is just preliminary, however, as not all of the votes have been counted. Ninety eight percent of the ballots have been processed, however, the Muslim Brotherhood said.

The unofficial estimate of voters turnout was 33%, Egyptian media reported.

Shortly after polls closed on Saturday night, the opposition group The National Salvation Front issued a statement voicing “deep concern… over the number of irregularities and violations in the holding of the referendum,” accusing the Muslim Brotherhood of fixing the vote.

The group urged voters to vote “no” on the new constitution but stopped short of calling for a boycott of the referendum, which they had previously promised if irregularities were seen in the voting process.

Among the allegations of fraud that The National Salvation Front flagged in a separate document included; a lack of judges to monitor the voting process and reports of members of the Muslim Brotherhood browbeating people into voting “yes” to the new constitution.

Egyptian human rights groups have urged a repeat of the first round of Sunday’s constitutional referendum on Sunday. The voting process lacked sufficient judicial supervision, and widespread violations have taken place, including voter obstruction and individuals falsely posing as poll supervisors, human right activists told at a media conference.

Hundreds of Islamist protests subsequently attacked headquarters of opposition party Al-Wafd in Cairo on Saturday night. They used gasoline bombs and birdshot, injuring two people before security forces arrived on the scene to disperse them.

“Just a few minutes ago, hundreds of Abu Ismail’s supporters were trying to break the wall of the headquarters and were firing Molotov cocktails at the building.” Al-Wafd Chief Editor Majdy Sarhan told Egypt’s official news agency, MENA. He stressed that the assailants also damaged nearby parked cars and the façade of the building.

Over 50 percent of Egypt’s registered voters made their way to polls on Saturday to vote for a constitution that has opened rifts among the Egyptian population. The final decision of the new charter will be made next Saturday when the rest of Egypt votes.

via Egypt backs Islamist constitution in first round vote – unofficial results — RT.