Egyptians vote overwhelmingly to approve constitutional changes

PanARMENIAN.Net - Egyptians voted overwhelmingly to approve constitutional changes at a referendum, paving the way to parliamentary and presidential elections within six months, official results showed on Sunday, March 20.

More than 14 million Egyptians, or 77.2% of those who voted, approved the constitutional amendments while four million, or 22.8%, said “no,” commission chairman Mohammed Attiya told reporters.

The count from most of the country, including Cairo, was still to be released.

According to results issued by judges at their respective polling centers, 11 of 29 provinces showed 65 to 90 per cent of voters saying “yes” to the amendment, which would allow parliament and presidential vote no later than September this year.

Opponents feared the referendum’s passage would allow the highly organized Muslim Brotherhood to dominate Egypt’s dozens of new political parties in the presidential and parliamentary vote.

The partial, preliminary results also showed 70 per cent turnout at many polling centers, a massive showing after decades of political apathy in response to repression, The Gulf Today reported.