The Arabist

The Arabist

By Issandr El Amrani and friends.

Some links on the referendum

✪ Governorate-level results at Egypt Independent, via FJP tallies.

✪ Good interactive map at al-Watan newspaper

✪ This is why this result - even if it gets over 60% by the second round - is a failure for Morsi and the Islamists:

Mr. Morsi’s problems could start with the charter itself. If it passes narrowly with only about one-third of eligible voters turning out, the document would have legal legitimacy, “but it’s difficult to argue it would have popular legitimacy,” said Zaid al-Ali, who has tracked Egypt’s constitution-writing process for the International Institute for Democratic and Electoral Assistance, based in Sweden. “Politically, it will be a hot potato for a long time to come,” he said.

✪ A take by Nervana Mahmoud.

✪ Tarek Masoud notes:

✪ A more full-fledged analysis by Masoud, at FP.

✪ Another analysis and prediction for the second round by ducoht.

✪ Strong words from some of Egypt's leading human rights activists - in WSJ:

"The Egyptian people went to vote in long lines and with great intensity. But throughout the day, there were irregularities that should lead to the voiding of the results," said Bahey Al Din Hassan, director of the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies.
The group complained that Islamist groups carried out a campaign of intimidation and violence against "no" voters, with a few outbreaks of political violence Friday and Saturday.
Civil-society groups were forbidden from observing the vote, the groups said. Some polling stations closed early, while many voters reported a lack of official stamps meant to ensure ballot papers' authenticity. Imams, or religious leaders, violated the law by using Friday sermons to urge voters to approve the document, the groups said.
Negad Al Boraie, the head of the United Group, a legal rights advocacy organization in Cairo, accused the head of the body that drafted the constitution—Hossam al Gheriany—of illegally granting permits to tens of thousands of Freedom and Justice Party members to enter polling stations, where he said they campaigned for a "yes" vote. Mr. al Gheriany also leads the National Council for Human Rights, which helped monitor the vote.
In a few cases, poll workers blocked Christians from voting, the groups reported.
The Freedom and Justice Party on Sunday said the voting unfolded in an "atmosphere of integrity and transparency under full supervision of the judiciary, the local and international media and human-rights groups."

✪ More on the fraud in this post.

✪ Mosireen has a video detailing more irregularities:

✪ Incidentally this other video has good commentary on the concessions given to the military in the draft constittution:

 

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