Egypt charter wins overwhelming backing, unofficial results show
Turnout on the first day of the vote drew about 65% of registered voters, shows the unofficial results
Cairo: Egypt’s overhauled constitution was approved by at least 90% of voters, according to unofficial results of a referendum seen as a litmus test of the military-backed government’s declared plan to restore democracy.
The two-day vote on the charter, which was drafted by a secular-dominated committee, marked a milestone on the government’s course for the nation following the military’s July ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi and suppression of the Muslim Brotherhood that backed him. Presidential and parliamentary elections are to follow.
Turnout on the first day of the vote drew about 65% of registered voters, the independent Shorouk newspaper reported, citing minister of local development Adel Labib. State-run Middle East News Agency said initial results from several polling stations nationwide showed the constitution passing with at least 90% of voter support.
A high turnout in the current ballot was billed in the local media and by analysts as a test for a potential presidential bid by defense minister Abdelfatah Al-Seesi, who led Morsi’s ouster and has since become a lionized figure in the country.
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