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Sunday
Dec162012

Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: A "Yes" --- So Far --- on the Constitution?

See also Saturday's Egypt (and Beyond) Live Coverage: The Referendum on the Constitution Begins


2210 GMT: Bahrain. Claimed footage from Sanabis today of shooting at protesters from civilian cars:

2110 GMT: Libya. The Cabinet has named the Government Media Centre after Mohammed Nabbous, the prominent citizen journalist who set up Libya al-Hurra TV --- as an Internet LiveStream --- during the uprising against the Qaddafi regime and who was killed by regime snipers in March 2011.

See Libya Video: The Last Broadcast of Mohammed Nabbous --- The Message from His Widow

1950 GMT: Iraq. Seven separate bombs in Kirkuk this afternoon, targeting Shia places of worship, have killed five people and wounded 14.

A car bomb also killed two Kurdish security officers outside the offices of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) in Jalawla.

1740 GMT: Egypt. The opposition National Salvation Front has called for a repeat of the first stage of the referendum on the Constitution, claiming 4,000 complaints of "irregularities and violations”.

The Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, which backs President Morsi, claims 56.5% of voters supported the Constitution. The second stage of balloting is scheduled for next Saturday.

The head of the Front, Mohamed ElBaradei, wrote on Twitter, “Country split, flagrant irregularities, low turnout, disillusion with Islamists on the rise. Illiteracy remains a hurdle.”

1420 GMT: Bahrain. A protest in the capital Manama on Saturday:

An EA correspondent in Bahrain notes, "Tomorrow is Martyrs Day. Mny protests been organized across the country."

0650 GMT: Egypt. Unofficial results from Saturday's first stage of voting on the draft Constitution puts "Yes" at 56.5%, according to the Muslim Brotherhood, which is pushing for approval.

The second half of the ballot will be held next Saturday

Results from presiding judges, the Brotherhood, and media show wide variations by Governorate. For example, Cairo rejected the Constitution with a 57% "No", according to the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party. However, Alexandria --- the second city which is the base for the Brotherhood --- returned a 55% "Yes", and the margin was even wider in other location: Assiut Governate, along the Nile, officially appproved the Constitution by 76%-24%, and the support in North Sinai was close to 80%. 

The numbers indicated about 30% turnout. Earlier in the day, before polls closed, the electoral commission said 51% of those eligible to vote on Saturday had participated.

Ahram Online reports "a resilent yet pensive mood" during the day: "This contrast[ed] with Egypt’s previous post-revolution referendums and polls, during which most voters could be seen smiling and proudly showing off their ink-stained fingers to news cameras."

The site claims "most voters who spoke to [it] expressed fear that, regardless of the outcome of the current constitutional poll, the coming period in Egypt would be ridden by political conflict and strife". It quotes one person in Old Cairo, "There will be no stability in any case; this is a process that will take a long time." 

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