Referendum vote over two Saturdays

[TonyC]

Referendum vote to be staggered over two consecutive Saturdays

Electoral officials have decided to stagger voting in the referendum on the draft constitution across two stages, state TV said early Wednesday.

The vote initially set for 15 December, will now take place both on Saturday and a week later on 22 December, with half of the country's governorates voting each day.

The move comes after most judges have refused to supervise the vote in protest over the president's recent constitutional declaration increasing his own powers and undermining the judiciary.

More at: http://www.egyptindependent.com/news/re ... -saturdays

The stance of the judges is interesting! They were outraged at Mr Morsi over-riding their judicial authority, so he back-tracked on that one by rescinding the original decree. So are judges who now refuse to carry out their constitutional duties to oversee a referendum acting as a "political party" against the government rather than the impartial independent judiciary they claim to be?

[Hafiz]

The same report is on some blogs - Chronicles where 'Zenobia' states that the reason is insufficient judges

None of the news agencies nor the BBC are reporting this.

A related point - Reuters is reporting that the Army is ‘hosting’(on Wednesday) national unity talks between the various factions. http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/ ... RO20121212 and later that the talks were postponed ‘ due to a low level of responses from those invited ... despite confirmation from the main Islamist and opposition groups that they would attend’ http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/ ... QK20121212.

The Army are still at the center of things.

[Winged Isis]

I am sure they always have been one way or another, just watching and waiting and manipulating.

[TonyC]

Luxor residents are scheduled to cast their votes in the referendum on Saturday 22nd December. Qena also. Aswan voters go the polls on the 15th.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent ... hases.aspx

[jewel]

Will it have any effect? I doubt it

By granting the Egyptian military the power to arrest citizens during the referendum process, Morsi has given it enormous influence over the outcome of the controversial constitutional vote. 




http://www.csmonitor.com/World/terroris ... +Security)

[Teddyboy]

"Morsi has given it enormous influence over the outcome of the controversial constitutional vote."

How's that then? Would you rather there was no official security presence at polling stations? Or is it just me being thick, as usual?

[TonyC]

"Morsi has given it enormous influence over the outcome of the controversial constitutional vote."

How's that then? Would you rather there was no official security presence at polling stations? Or is it just me being thick, as usual?

No, of course it isn't. It's just the good lady returning with her age-old practice of searching the outer reaches of the blogosphere (I think that's what it's called!) to find some scare-mongering headline from the "terrorist alerts" department (one man?) of the Christian Science Monitor!

[Bombay]

Pro-Morsi groups are lining main roads in Cairo, holding placards that say "Yes to the constitution".

They have also published online videos with a campaign song that says "This constitution is not too bad, it was written by a committee of heroes", AFP news agency reports.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20726474

[Bullet Magnet]

Oh God, Politics.

I just want to EVOLVE, and get on the Spaceships we have waiting and get out of here..

[Hafiz]

Lyce Doucet, one of the pillars of good sense BBC radio, has a vox pop piece on opinion in Delta Egypt. It’s heartening and shows that opinion is not as clear-cut as some journalists seem to say. However like many ‘top shots’ she’s on a fly in fly out schedule – Egypt one day Tunisia the next. The Fisk is still firmly ensconced in Beurit.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20723913

Another BBC vox pop (Cairo?) is also interesting with unexpected opinions. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-20708876.

Are any ‘pundits’ betting their gallabiya on the outcome, is anyone taking their money?