BBC News - Egypt referendum: Second day of voting on new constitution

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25739477

Egypt referendum: Second day of voting on new constitution

15 January 2014 Last updated at 08:21 GMT

A voter shows support for army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Voting has resumed in Egypt in a two-day referendum on a new constitution drawn up following the ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

The army-backed government is seeking a "Yes" vote to endorse his removal.

With security tight, Tuesday's voting was reported to be broadly peaceful. However, nine people died in clashes involving Morsi supporters.

Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated a terrorist group, is boycotting the vote.

The new charter is to replace the constitution passed under Mr Morsi before he was removed last July.

Polling stations are scheduled to close at 21:00 local time (19:00 GMT), although it remains unclear when results will be announced.

Egypt's constitutional referendum explained - in 60 seconds

The BBC's Sally Nabil, at a polling station in Alexandria, says the number of people queuing as voting began was noticeably lower than at the same time on the first day.

But our correspondent James Reynolds, who is in Cairo, says the queue at the Workers University polling station was again busy - with a line extending several hundred metres.

However, he says the overall turnout remains uncertain.

Voters' views

"I will boycott because my vote doesn't matter"

Rawan Ahmed, 23

Al-Hayat TV cited the justice ministry as saying it "exceeded 50% in many polling stations" on the first day.

Much of the media though has been endorsing the new constitution and is widely seen as reflecting the government's point of view.

State-run media were on Tuesday describing the vote as a "democratic ceremony" - a term widely used during the Hosni Mubarak era but not heard since he was ousted in the revolution of January 2011.

The vote is expected to come out in favour of the new charter.

A huge security operation began on Tuesday, with some 160,000 soldiers and more than 200,000 policemen deployed nationwide.

Morsi supporters clashed with security forces in several parts of Egypt on Tuesday:

• Four people were killed and more wounded in clashes in the Upper Egypt city of Sohag, though details of the incident are disputed
• One person died in Nahia, in the Giza district of Cairo
• Another was killed during an anti-referendum protest in Bani Suef, south of Cairo, the governor there told the BBC
• Three people - Morsi supporters according to security sources - are reported to have been shot dead in the Cairo suburb of Kerdasa

'Work hard'

The referendum is believed likely to lead to elections later in the year and army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, who backed the overthrow of Mr Morsi, is considered almost certain to stand for the post of president.

Muslim Brotherhood supporters march on the first day of the referendum, in Giza

Also in Giza, supporters of Gen Sisi took to the streets

Wearing dark sunglasses and khaki fatigues, he visited a polling station in north Cairo, telling guards there: "Work hard. We need the referendum to be completely secured."

The new constitution was drafted by a 50-member committee that included only two representatives of Islamist parties.

The authorities maintain that it is a crucial step towards stability.

Under the new constitution:

• The president may serve two four-year terms and can be impeached by parliament
• Islam remains the state religion - but freedom of belief is absolute, giving some protection to minorities
• The state guarantees "equality between men and women"
• Parties may not be formed based on "religion, race, gender or geography"
• Military to appoint defence minister for next eight years

Critics say the new charter favours the army at the expense of the people, and fails to deliver on the 2011 revolution.

US aid

In a separate development, there are signs Washington could be on the verge of restoring $1.5bn (£1bn) in US aid to Egypt.

A clause within a federal spending bill in Congress authorises resuming aid if there are convincing signs that a "democratic transition" is under way.

The aid, including support for the military, was suspended last year in response to the crackdown on pro-Morsi protests.

Mohammed Morsi, who was Egypt's first democratically elected president, is being held in jail in Alexandria, facing several criminal charges relating to his time in office. He says they are politically motivated.

More than 1,000 people have died in violence since Mr Morsi's overthrow.

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