CAIRO, 27 March 2007 — Egyptians took to the ballot boxes yesterday, reportedly with low voter turnout rates, to vote on the amendment of 34 articles of the country’s constitution of 1971. While President Hosni Mubarak’s ruling National Democratic Party has urged Egyptians to vote for the amendments the political opposition has called for boycott.
Nearly 35 million Egyptians (out of an aggregate population of more than 70 million) are said to be registered on electoral rosters with the right to vote. Mubarak has repeatedly spoken of the 34 amendments, which he proposed on Dec. 26, 2006, as heralding in a new era of “democracy,” “reforms,” and the “rights of citizenship.”
The NDP-dominated Parliament approved of the amendments on March 19, while around 100 opposition and independent MPs voted against the amendments and staged a walkout. Egyptians were granted less than seven days to decide as to whether or not they would vote for the new amendments.
Nevertheless, the ruling party MPs have hung up banners trumpeting the democratic reforms and new rights enshrined in the amendment proposals calling on their constituents to “vote yes” in the referendum. However, an untold percentage of Egyptians are not aware of the provisions of the draft amendments, simply because the proposed amendments were not accessible — available only on the Internet and on local satellite and TV stations. State-funded newspapers merely ran a list of the article numbers being amended, and directions as to where and how to vote in the referendum.
Mubarak has campaigned for the amendments on the basis that their provisions stipulate for “a strong Parliament” that can hold the government accountable for its actions, and can bring down it down by a majority vote of no confidence. The amendments propose “a state of citizenship whereby all are equal in terms of rights and duties”, argued Mubarak. Mubarak also pointed out that the amendments stipulate for an “increased representation of women in Parliament” through the allocation of a quota of parliamentary seats for women.
The president also argued that the amendments will lead to “greater opportunities for political parties to field candidates for presidential elections. Mubarak pointed out, however, that religion-based parties would not be tolerated — in an indirect reference to the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood, which is seeking political party status, and is currently Egypt’s strongest opposition force with 88 parliamentary seats out of a total of 454.
Mubarak and his party were strongly criticized by the country’s political opposition during the last referendum on the amendment of constitutional Article 76 in 2005 — relating to the prerequisite legal procedures for the election of the country’s president.
The opposition claimed that the amended Article 76 was tailor-made to fit only the ruling party, and intended to pave the way for the succession of Mubarak’s son Gamal to the presidency.
