Constitutional Referendum Polls Close in Egypt

Credit: Sherif9282/wikimedia

Polls in the two-day referendum on Egypt's draft constitution have closed.

According to Al-Jazeera, the draft constitution is expected to pass, and unofficial results could be announced within hours.

The Muslim Brotherhood, which backs ousted President Morsi, called for the referendum to be boycotted. The draft constitution bans political parties based on "religion, race, gender or geography," establishes Islam as the state religion, and strengthens the military. The military-backed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization last month.  

General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is expected to announce his candidacy for president if the draft constitution is approved.

Read the draft constitution below:

More from Reason.com on Egypt here.

Comments

[Brandon]

Obama: Still tone deaf, still incompetent.

http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_.....snhp&pos=1

[Fist of Etiquette]

We, the people of Egypt, in order to form a less Muslim Brotherhoody union...

[Tim]

Read the draft constitution below:

Maybe it's just me, but there's nothing there.

[tarran]

They have to pass it for us to see what's in it.

[Austrian Anarchy]

The Wise Latina wanted it to be like South Africa's AND living, didn't she? The blank spot looks like she got her wish.

[Raven Nation]

Tarran: did you see you were the victim of a non-sequitur trashing in one of the comments at "Liberty Papers" this morning.

[MikeP]

Ixnay on the ashblockflay.

[Death Rock and Skull]

"Maybe it's just me, but there's nothing there."

Exactly.

[Paul.]

The draft constitution bans political parties based on "religion, race, gender or geography," establishes Islam as the state religion, and strengthens the military. The military-backed government declared the Muslim Brotherhood a terrorist organization last month.

Way to make me feel sympathy for a hard line Islamist political party, Egypt. Stay classy.

[Death Rock and Skull]

"bans political parties based on "religion, race, gender or geography," establishes Islam as the state religion..."

One of these things appears to contradict the other.

[Surly Chef]

So OT, did anyone else find the new episode of Archer to be too much lick a nut punch article to be truly funny?

[Loki]

I couldn't really suspend disbelief anymore when they found out the guys raiding the office were FBI and stopped shooting, and the FBI didn't proceed to murder everyone in the office anyway. Totally took me out of it.

[Surly Chef]

There's that and the part where they actually do that to people that aren't dangerous and the absurdity of charging someone with murder for defending themselves. Ugh, I basically just had a flashback of all the nut punch articles I've ever read and just got too angry to laugh.

[Paul.]

Sing it sister.

I've bitched for years that Hollywood/movies/tv are way behind the times. I was just watching a movie the other day where the cops were using amazing restraint-- I can't remember the movie or the scene, but my first thought was like, "Oh right, like they wouldn't have tazed, shot and/or beaten everyone involved."

[Death Rock and Skull]

Best constitution ever.

[Old Man With Candy]

Wordy little fucks, aren't they?