Egypt Referendum: High Participation

referendumEgypt referendum: Reports based on unofficial surveys published on Thursday show that participation in the constitutional referendum on Tuesday and Wednesday exceeded the voters registered in December 2012 by more than one million.

The number of voters in 25 of Egypt’s 27 provinces was 17,453,815, and 98 percent of them voted Yes on the text, reformed by a panel of 50 experts and based on the one in force until July 3, when President Mohamed Morsi was overthrown.

According to that unofficial story, votes in favor totaled 16,821,944, compared to 336,675 against the constitutional reform.

The difference was the result of the call to abstain made by the National Coalition for Defending Legality (NCDL), which groups Islamic organizations led by the banned Muslim Brotherhood (MB).

On the first day of the referendum, 11 people, including one person who passed away of natural causes at the entrance of a polling station, died, dozens were injured and hundreds were arrested in clashes between riot police and MB supporters.

The interim government, supported by the Armed Forces, deployed more than 160,000 troops to guard more than 30,000 voting stations and to keep order during the referendum, which it described as decisive for the return of democracy. (PL)

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