Peaceful final day of voting on new Egypt constitution
Baku, January 16 (AZERTAC).The atmosphere outside a polling station in Cairo is similar to that of a rally, the BBC's James Reynolds says. Egyptians have voted for a final day in a referendum on a new constitution drawn up following the ousting of Islamist President Mohammed Morsi. The army-backed government was seeking a "Yes" vote to endorse his removal.
Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, which has been designated a terrorist group, boycotted the vote.
Wednesday's voting passed off mostly peacefully, in contrast to Tuesday when nine people died in clashes involving Mr Morsi's supporters. However, about 300 people have been arrested over the two days for disrupting the vote.
Here at the Workers Stadium in Nasr City the referendum has turned into an unofficial military parade and concert. Outside the polling station a group of voters and military enthusiasts wave pictures of the Armed Forces chief Gen Sisi. Vendors sell posters of the general, and a white police jeep plays military songs. The security forces openly encourage a "Yes" vote, which is seen as the same thing as a vote for Gen Sisi. "Sisi ! Sisi !" chanted one officer carrying a walkie-talkie. Shortly after midday, a military helicopter circled overhead - barely clearing the top of the neighbourhood's ten-storey buildings. Soldiers on board the helicopter waved to the crowd below. A convoy of armoured personnel carriers parked a block away from the polling station.
Anyone in favour of a "No" vote is staying well away. Morsi supporters blocked a metro station in a Cairo suburb, stopping some trains, security officials said, but were quickly dispersed by police. The new charter is to replace the constitution passed during the rule of Mr Morsi before he was removed last July. It remains unclear when results will be announced.
A huge security operation has been in evidence throughout the two days of voting, with some 160,000 soldiers and more than 200,000 policemen deployed nationwide. 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.
The new constitution was drafted by a 50-member committee that included only two representatives of Islamist parties.
Critics say the new charter favours the army at the expense of the people, and fails to deliver on the 2011 revolution.
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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