Egypt polarized in post-Mubarak referendum
By Nehal El-Sherif, dpa
Cairo (dpa) – After weeks of protests, Cairo appeared relatively peaceful on Saturday, as Egyptians queued silently outside polling stations in the first round of voting in a referendum designed to sanction a new constitution.
This is the fifth time that Egyptians were being asked to vote since a popular uprising ousted president Hosny Mubarak almost two years ago.
But, unlike the jubilation that permeated last year's parliamentary and presidential elections, this poll has polarized the country.
In Cairo's working-class neighbourhood of Sayeda Zeinb, Mustafa Ahmed was waiting in line for an hour to vote.
"I want the interests of Egypt, and I think the new constitution will guarantee this," Ahmed, 40, said.
"I want stability and welfare. So I am going to vote 'Yes' to security and job opportunities," he said, as he moved two steps closer to the gate of the school where he would cast his ballot.
Ahmed echoed the fervour of supporters of President Mohammed Morsi and his Islamist allies. Over the past weeks, they have campaigned heavily in favour of the new constitution, which they say will bring stability to the country by allowing Morsi to call an election for a new parliament, instead of spending months re-writing the constitution.
Opposition parties strongly reject the constitution, which was drafted by an Islamist-led constituent assembly, saying it could undermine women's and political rights, and sideline minorities.
"I have read the constitution more than 20 times. It is excellent," said Abdul-Rahman Abdul-Wahed, a 51-year-old imam at a mosque in Sayeda Zainab.
Wearing a beige galabiya (a loose garment often worn by Muslim preachers) and holding a white prayer rosary in his hand, Abdul-Wahed said he believed the constitution "meets the needs of everyone: Women, children, farmers, workers."
Leila Nimatallah disagreed.
"The constitution is a disaster. It is a scandal," the 60-year-old said after casting her ballot in Cairo's upscale neighbourhood of Zamalek.
The new constitution does guarantee freedom of belief, but only followers of the "divine religions" - Islam, Judaism and Christianity – are guaranteed the rights to practice religion and build places of worship.
"So, what about the Indian community here? What about the Hindus? They exist, you know," Nimatallah noted.
Some residents were worried that the relative peace in Cairo was just the proverbial calm before the storm. Opposition leaders have spoken of a possible civil war and had repeatedly called for the vote to be postponed, so that the constitution could be re-written.
The current draft has sparked nationwide turmoil, with nine people killed in clashes in Cairo in the last two weeks.
On Saturday, however, the two camps decided to express their views only through the ballot boxes.
"It is simply a mess," said Adel, 80, referring to the draft constitution.
"I left a huge mark beside the 'No' sign," he said, as he left the polling station, leaning on a walking stick.
He added" "I do not want my grandchildren to live under such a constitution. But, it seems they will have to survive all the violence expected in our Egypt, no matter what the result is."
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