Final Day Of Egyptian Referendum To Extend Sisi's Rule
Mohammad Ali (@ChaudhryMAli88) Published April 22, 2019 | 08:42 PM
Egyptians voted for a third and final day Monday on constitutional changes that could keep President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi in power until 2030, amid reports of people actively being encouraged to go the polls
Sisi, who become president in 2014 and was re-elected in 2018 after eliminating all serious political competitors, is widely expected to win backing for the proposed amendments.
The sweeping changes would extend his current term until 2024 and would also give him the right to stand for another six-year term.
Other controversial amendments on the ballot include boosting his control over the judiciary and giving the military even greater influence in Egyptian political life.
AFP correspondents saw pro-Sisi volunteers handing out boxed meals at several polling stations in Cairo to voters after they had cast their ballots.
The parcels contained staples such as oil, rice, pasta and sugar.
Human Rights Watch has criticised the "grossly unfree, rights-abusive environment" of the vote, where the 'No' campaign has been effectively muzzled.
Ahmed Badawy, an engineer and youth activist with two political parties, wrote on Twitter on Sunday that he had been arrested, using the widely used hashtag "Go down, say No".
He posted a picture of himself earlier holding a red placard in an upmarket suburb of Cairo with the text "No, to the constitutional changes".
"He didn't commit any crimes. He was expressing his views in a peaceful manner", Badawy's lawyer Mohamed al-Baqer told AFP.
Badawy is detained in a police station but the family have received no official notification from the authorities, Baqer said.
In Imbaba, a working-class suburb hugging the Nile, an eyewitness on Monday told AFP of seeing street vendors being forcefully loaded onto buses to go vote.
On the first day of the referendum, some voters told AFP their employers had encouraged them to vote "Yes" and transported them to polling stations in company buses.
In their initial report, an international observer team said "there were no hurdles to voting".
Egypt's state-affiliated foreign media body on Sunday denounced instances of critical international coverage.
The referendum also proposes other changes to the five-year-old constitution, including creating a second parliamentary chamber and a quota ensuring at least 25 percent of lawmakers are women.
The final results will be announced on April 27.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
SC orders end of encroachments in Karachi
Nazish Jahangir denies viral screenshots, calls them fake
Govt likely to hike electricity price once again
Bismah Maroof announces immediate retirement from international cricket
Malala expresses unwavering support for Gaza people
Selection committee dissolved over Pakistan women cricket team's poor performanc ..
Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz in police uniform at Chung police center
Currency Rate In Pakistan - Dollar, Euro, Pound, Riyal Rates On 25 April 2024
Today Gold Rate in Pakistan 25 April 2024
Mired in crisis, Boeing reports another loss
Session Awarding Ceremony 2024 held at Cadet College Muzaffarabad
Austrian ski great Hirscher to make comeback under Dutch flag
More Stories From World
-
Paris landmark Moulin Rouge's windmill sails collapse
19 minutes ago -
Ahead of feared Rafah invasion, Palestinians mourn bombardment dead
19 minutes ago -
155 killed in Tanzania as heavy rains cause floods, landslides: PM
19 minutes ago -
Car giants vie for EV crown at Beijing's Auto China show
19 minutes ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
29 minutes ago -
China-Bangladesh to hold joint military exercise in May
39 minutes ago
-
Residents protest as Venice launches five-euro entry fee
49 minutes ago -
Portugal marks 50 years of democracy with far right on rise
1 hour ago -
Pakistan envoy visits TomatoWorld in Netherlands
1 hour ago -
Chinese defense minister to attend SCO meeting in Kazakhstan
1 hour ago -
China, Pakistan should engage in greater counter-terrorism cooperation to combat hostile forces: Khu ..
1 hour ago -
Scottish leader scraps coalition deal with Greens
1 hour ago