Overwhelming majority voted for Egypt’s new constitution, official says

Egyptian women supporting the army hold booklets of Egyptian constitution drafts saying 'Yes' and dance, as they hold pictures of army chief General Abdel Fattah Al Sisi beside a polling station in Cairo on January 15, 2014. - Reuters

An overwhelming majority of Egyptians who voted on the country’s new constitution backed the draft charter, a senior Egyptian official said on Thursday, despite criticism from an international monitoring group of a clampdown on free speech ahead of the election.

The election official told the Associated Press that unofficial results after most of the ballots had been counted indicated that more than 90 per cent voted “yes” on the constitution. He declined to give an estimate on the final turnout and spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to journalists.

Nabil Salib, the head of the Supreme Election Committee, was quoted by the state news agency Mena as saying that ballots were still being counted and that final results would be announced in a few days. He initially said the results were expected on Friday. Results typically are announced within 72 hours after polls close in Egypt.

The vote held on Tuesday and Wednesday was a milestone for Egypt’s interim government, installed by the military after a July coup toppled President Mohammed Mursi, following mass protests demanding that he step down. Many considered the vote as key to restoring stability and supporting the current government in the face of continued protests from Mursi supporters.