Egypt voters choose constitutional change as early results are released

[alp227]

Source: Associated Press

Partial referendum results from a third of Egypt's provinces yesterday showed a massive turnout and a vote overwhelmingly in favour of constitutional changes to eliminate restrictions on political rights and civil liberties.

According to results issued by judges at polling centres, 11 out of 29 provinces showed between 65% and 90% of voters were in favour of the changes.

Opponents feared the referendum's passage would allow the Muslim Brotherhood to win out over Egypt's dozens of new political parties in the forthcoming presidential and parliamentary vote.

The partial preliminary results also showed 70% turnout at many polling centres, a massive showing after decades of political apathy in response to repression.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/mar/20/egypt-voters-yes-constitutional-change

[joshcryer]

1. Fuck yeah! And people were saying Egypt was going to be coopted!

[snot]

2. What was their alternative--wasn't it between inadequate changes or none?

[dipsydoodle]

3. The alternative

wasn't to amend the existing constitution , which is what has happened , but to write a completely new one which is what most of the protesters we saw weeks ago in the square.

The Brotherhood has won here - they wanted what has happened because the elections will be earlier and that will now allow them to field candidates earlier than would otherwise have been the case.

I'm not quite sure that some here on DU have grasped what is what - I don't just mean this post.

[snot]

4. What is/was the status of efforts to write a brand-new Constitution?

I agree, based on what little I know, that that might have been best. Who was working on it, how far have they gotten?

[dipsydoodle]

5. As a result of this

it may not now ever be started/finished ? I'm not sure who was involved in a re-write - they may not have anticipated such an early referendum on the subject. Its had the effect of moving elections forward from September/October to May/June.

[snot]

6. Very bad news, then -- thank you.

B.t.w., my first reply above was not intended to say the outcome of the elections is a good resolution, but rather to suggest that if voters HAVE approved the amendments, it might just have been because they thought the amendments offered were better than nothing.

[snot]

7. Shortly after my last reply, I head an NPR reporter say that as a result of the amendments,

elections would take place in Sept.-Oct. I take it they're they misinformed?

[No Elephants]

9. You wanted an interim military, non-elected government to produce a new

constitution?

In Iraq, we did it--and Iraq still went from a secular nation to one under Sharia law.

In America, we had had the British Parliament and monarch as a model for our Congress and President, a system of "state" Governors and a few passes at the Articles of Confederation and several Presidents before Washington.

At that, when influential Americans came up with our Constitution, they left out the Bill of Rights. Granted, we were the first people in modern times to have gone from monarchy to a form of democracy, but it took quite a bit to get to the Bill of Rights--and we did not get beyond a one-party system until Jefferson.

I am confident Egyptians will get where they want to be before long because they have shown everyone they will not sit down and shut up until they do. However, they may very well get where they want to be, which may not necessarily be where we believe they should want to be.



"The Brotherhood has won here - they wanted what has happened because the elections will be earlier and that will now allow them to field candidates earlier than would otherwise have been the case."



Issue is, other groups may not have had an opportunity to organize, choose candidates, and get their candidates and platforms known before the next election, while groups that are already organized and known have an advantage, name recognition alone being vital.

Again, it may take longer than five minutes before the Egyptians reach their ideal--or at least their "optimal." However, if they really do want the Egyptian Muslim brotherhood to lead them, they have a right to decide that, too, no?

As long as their elections are not rigged anymore, surely, that's better than Mubarak's corrupt and iron rule?

[No Elephants]

8. 70% turnout--and under military rule, too. And in a Muslim dominated

country, where all women may not have felt free to vote.

No GOTV organizational experience either.

Maybe that's what happens when voters hope their vote may actually effect significant, positive change in their lives and the lives of their kids?