Constitutional referendum kicks off in Egypt

People look for their names at a polling station before casting their votes in a referendum on Egypt's new constitution in Cairo December 15, 2012. [Photo/Agencies]

CAIRO - The first stage of Egypt's controversial constitutional referendum started on Saturday, with 26 million people in 10 governorates, including Cairo and Alexandria, eligible to cast ballots.

Egyptians are divided over the draft constitution, as most liberals, leftists and Copts consider it to be written by an Islamist-dominated assembly that doesn't represent all Egyptians. Many women, notably, regard the draft constitution as "against the poor and the women."

However, supporters of the draft constitution, mostly Islamists, conservatives and religious people, believe it could lead the country to stability and prosperity.

Early Saturday morning, long queues of men and women crowded outside polling stations, anxious to show their support or opposition to the new constitution.

In the capital Cairo, polling stations in downtown district saw a high turnout. Long queues of voters were well organized, with hundreds of police and army men securing the voting process.

In many polling stations, such as that of the Fine Arts College in Zamalek, downtown Cairo, young men and women volunteered as organizers, helping the aged with directions, guidelines and electoral numbers. They put large stickers on the floor with ranges of voter numbers so that voters would line up easily.

In the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, voting took place amid tension due to Friday night's clashes between supporters and opponents of the constitution that continued until early hours of Saturday morning. Still, no armored vehicles or heavy equipments were seen outside polling stations, with only policemen and navy officers securing polling stations.

So far, the voting process is going smoothly and quietly, with no violations reported in any of the 10 governorates.

Samira Ahmed, a well-known Egyptian actress, stood at a women's line at one polling station in Cairo.

"I would say a million 'No' to the draft constitution which is against the poor, the women and the judiciary," she told Xinhua. " Egypt's future will be dark if this constitution is passed."

Layla, a former employee at an Egyptian radio station, said " all the articles have been written without consensus and the draft constitution doesn't represent all Egyptians."

"If this constitution is approved, the country will be governed by one faction under the name of religion, but the revolution was not based on religion. They involve religion in politics, which is a kind of trade in the name of religion," Layla told Xinhua.

On his way out of the polling station, Karim, 39-year-old purchase manager with a beard, a symbol of conservative Muslim, said he favored the new constitution. He saw the country's current division and conditions as "very dangerous," expressing belief that the situation would be better after this stage.

Some Egyptians have chosen to boycott the referendum, as they reject the draft constitution wholeheartedly.

"They shouldn't have boycotted. They should have come and say ' No' with us, as their votes count... with this constitution, the future of Egypt will be black," said Germeen Gergis, a Coptic lady, while leaving the polling station.

For the aged voters who have witnessed several former presidents in the past, the ongoing division among Egyptians under President Mohamed Morsi is rather alarming and unprecedented.

"The current crisis is awful. During the times of late presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat, crises were limited and controllable. Abdel Nasser had conflicts with officers and Sadat had issues with Islamists, Nasserites and communists, but they all were limited and manageable. Today's division is alarming, " said retired judge Saad Abou Ouf, 91, who could hardly stand up while waiting for his turn to vote.