On Friday, Egyptian citizens exercised their recently earned right to vote for or against a new constitution that some fear might bring the country’s government back to an era of oppressive rule. The newly drafted constitution is the product of the country’s first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsi, and his Muslim Brotherhood allies in Egypt’s parliament.
A majority of Egypt’s 51 million eligible voters will need to vote in favor of the draft in order for it to be approved. The path to the polls has been anything but peaceful, as angry protesters took to the streets to combat a perceived power grab from Morsi after the president suspended the power of the country’s judicial branch.
Morsi streamlined the process to get an Islam-based constitution instated, with the government’s Islamic majority promising that the constitution will be the first step towards stability in the new democratic age. Detractors made up of liberals and citizens of other religions believe that the draft impedes on the rights of citizens and disregards minority interests.
“Adoption of (a) divisive draft constitution that violates universal values and freedoms is a sure way to institutionalize instability and turmoil,” Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed El Baradei posted on Twitter.
The proposed constitution does have supporters among the Egyptian Muslims and citizens who believe a stronger government would be able to resolve the country’s current economic turmoil. Friday’s voting was still surrounded by protests and government intimidation as Egypt undergoes one of its first true tests as a Democracy.
“I said ‘yes’ because I want the destruction the country is living through to be over and the crisis to pass, and then we can fix things later,” post office worker Hoawaida Abdel Azeem told Reuters.
Egyptian soldiers have partnered with police to protect the nation’s polling centers, and a second round of voting will take place in different regions on December 22 in order to ensure there are enough judges to monitor the polling stations. If the draft is struck down in the vote, it could take Egyptian leaders months to develop a new constitution.
