Huge Egypt voter turnout marred by ElBaradei attack

Unprecedented turnout seen in first vote post-Mubarak

Sunday, 20 March 2011

An estimated 45 million voters were asked to say "yes" or "no" to a package of constitutional changes

CAIRO (Agencies)

Egyptians voted in huge numbers on Saturday in their first taste of democracy after Hosni Mubarak's ouster, although a referendum was marred by an assault on Nobel peace laureate Mohamed ElBaradei.

Turnout figures were not expected before Sunday but officials said the numbers at polling stations were unprecedented for Egypt, where participation was minuscule in the Mubarak era as voters assumed their ballots would make no difference.

Just five weeks after the strongman quit, the estimated 45 million voters were asked to say "yes" or "no" to a package of constitutional changes intended to guide the Arab world's most populous nation through fresh presidential and parliamentary elections within six months.

Observers said there appeared to have been an unprecedented turnout for the first Egyptian ballot in living memory whose outcome was not known in advance.

Eager voters seized their first taste of democracy following president Mubarak's overthrow by nationwide street protests which ended decades of authoritarian rule.

"Today we feel our vote can make a difference," said pharmacy student Maraam Mohammed as she queued to vote in Cairo's twin city of Giza, site of the world-famous Pyramids.

One government official told AFP: "It's very difficult to get numbers but everyone agrees it's unprecedented, it's huge, it's never been seen before."

Arab League chief Amr Moussa, an Egyptian who is a leading contender for president in eventual elections, hailed the high participation as he cast his vote in upscale Garden City.

"Whether the Egyptian people say yes or no, that's alright," said Mussa, a staunch opponent of the transitional military government's plans to make only limited changes to the Mubarak-era constitution before holding new elections.

"What is important is that people are coming. We need a new Egypt."

Attack on ElBaradei

The excitement of voters at casting their ballot, many of them for the first time in their lives, was overshadowed by an attack on former U.N. nuclear watchdog chief ElBaradei, who is a rival secular contender for the presidency, as he tried to cast his vote in south Cairo.

Rocks thrown at ElBaradei's car smashed its rear window as he fled the crowd, a Reuters witness said. He was unable to vote at the Cairo polling station and went elsewhere to cast his ballot.

"They came out of nowhere. They were not in line to vote. They started chanting in unison 'We don't want you' all of a sudden. It looks like it was coordinated," said Sameh Fathi, 25, who had been waiting in line to vote.

ElBaradei has been an outspoken critic of the tight timetable for the restoration of civilian rule set by the transitional military government, arguing that it gives far too little time for new political parties to organize at grass roots level.

An appointed panel of experts drew up the proposed amendments in just 10 days, as the military council that took over from Mubarak strives to hand over power as quickly as possible and keep the army above the political fray.

But the hasty, improvised nature of the proposed constitutional underpinnings of Egypt's promised new democracy drove many of the leading groups and figures behind the victorious protest movement to urge a "no" vote.

Constitutional reform

Constitutional reform is a milestone on the path sketched by the military towards legislative and presidential elections that will allow it to hand power to a civilian, elected government.

The military, eager to relinquish power as soon as possible, has indicated that parliamentary elections could happen as soon as September, to be followed by a presidential election.

Rejection of the amendments would upset their plans. A security source said that under such a scenario, the parliamentary election could be pushed back to December.

One of the reforms limits the time a president can stay in office to two four-year terms -- a dramatic departure from the system that allowed Mubarak to stay in office for 30 years.

The main advocates of a "yes" vote have been the Muslim Brotherhood, powerful and well-organized despite being outlawed under Mubarak.

Remnants of Mubarak's National Democratic Party (NDP) have also said they support the amendments. Reformists see members of the party as one threat to the deep changes they are seeking

The count got under way straight after the close of polls. Assessments of the likely outcome have been as divided as views about the proposed changes.

Some analysts predict a majority "yes" vote, at least outside the big cities, given the strong rural support of the Brotherhood and the perceived backing of the army, popular after it sided with protesters against Mubarak.

Others are more skeptical, pointing to the widespread economic discontent in the provinces that has sparked a wave of strikes and walkouts.

The result is expected to be announced on Sunday evening or Monday morning,