And Supreme referendum commission “SRC” has announced the official results of the constitution referendum :
I will not comment on how MB managed RSSD Facebook News pages knew the results days before the SRC exclude the null votes and the problematic polling stations. I will not comment on how the SRC ignored completely the complains of the Christians in Upper Egypt on how they would not be let to vote because it is useless to debate in this stage.
I will comment on the fact that this is a very low turnout , we are about a turnout of 32.9% out of nearly 52 million voters in a referendum that will change not only their lives but the lives of the people.
I will comment on that very low turnout compared to the March 2011 constitutional declaration referendum. In march 2011 the SCAF’s constitutional declaration was backed by 77% of the voters. The turnout was 41.2% of 45 eligible voters then. I think to be fair there are important factors we should consider :
It is like the silent majority is back to its silence. The majority of eligible voters did not go and vote on the charter that will affect and change their lives , this is extremely dangerous in transitional times.It is as if people lost faith in the democratic electoral process.
The Muslim brotherhood and Islamists got the constitution they want and the silent majority is back to its silence and its mistrust in democracy as it seems.
- The eligible voters in the constitution referendum : 51,919,067 voters
- The no. of voters who casted their vote in the referendum : 17,058,317 voters
- The official turnout : 32.9%
- The valid votes : 16,755,012 votes
- The null votes : 303,395 votes
- The no. of those who approved the constitution : 10,693,911 voters “63.8%”
- The no. of those who rejected the constitution : 6,061,101 voters “36.2%”
I will not comment on how MB managed RSSD Facebook News pages knew the results days before the SRC exclude the null votes and the problematic polling stations. I will not comment on how the SRC ignored completely the complains of the Christians in Upper Egypt on how they would not be let to vote because it is useless to debate in this stage.
I will comment on the fact that this is a very low turnout , we are about a turnout of 32.9% out of nearly 52 million voters in a referendum that will change not only their lives but the lives of the people.
I will comment on that very low turnout compared to the March 2011 constitutional declaration referendum. In march 2011 the SCAF’s constitutional declaration was backed by 77% of the voters. The turnout was 41.2% of 45 eligible voters then. I think to be fair there are important factors we should consider :
- Egyptians who work in different governorates were free to vote where ever they are.
It is like the silent majority is back to its silence. The majority of eligible voters did not go and vote on the charter that will affect and change their lives , this is extremely dangerous in transitional times.It is as if people lost faith in the democratic electoral process.
The Muslim brotherhood and Islamists got the constitution they want and the silent majority is back to its silence and its mistrust in democracy as it seems.
and one should never forget that the supreme court was all about declaring both shura council and constitutional council as illegal and inn valid. Only by Morsi's dictatorial moves did this constitution come to life.
ReplyDeleteThe MB did very quick emulate the ways of the Mubarak regime. For sure they will join his fate.
One of Egypt problems today, after the revolution, is still running with tools and legislation drafted and inacted during Murbarak days.
DeleteI am not on this side who encircled the Constitutional Supreme Court (not supreme court, by the way) nor on the side of those who encircled the Presidential Palace... This is childish and negative form of opposition.
However I can't accept the fact that the Constitutional Supreme Court, some of its members, is acting in such way to cripple down the country just because the president and his party were on the other side of the fence when they were appointed by Mubarak.
The jurisdictional authority is of hybrid nature: it is neutral and purified from any political group membership, in how it perform its job. However it is linked (i.e. not totally independent) to the Supreme authority (i.e. the people of Egypt) who is represented by an elected president and soon represented by an elected Parliament.
This whole situation the country is struggling with now is just because of the infamous ruling to void constitutional basis the election of 1/3 of the lower room members. To make things worst the ruling didn't made it clear that 2/3 members are correct which gave the chance to the supreme council of armed forces the opportunity to shut down the full lower room of the Parliament.
Lets assume that the results was in the opposite way: 63.8% No and 32.9% Yes, then the argument would be the constitution was rejected by 63.8% of almost one third of eligible voters.
ReplyDeleteIn plain language, this what I believe are principles of any democratic process:
1. Everybody is free to exercise his/her citizenship right to vote.
2. Any one chose not to exercise his/her right to vote doesn't mean in any way that the process lacks credibility and representation.
3. Neither sides of the competing political groups can assume that those who didn't participate is actually a No or Yes.
4. The opinion of those participated in the process over-rule those who didn't participate.
5. The 50% + 1 rule is king in these cases
I believe that the silent majority is fed up from both sides of the equation and their childish debates, and everybody attempt to reach to perfection while the country around them is collapsing!
Egyptians: Wake-up and move forward.
Well said. Most Egyptians are sick to death with the constant whining of the opposition and weekly protests disrupting life and economic production and recovery. The opposition has done serious harm to it's supporters by the way it has and is behaving.
DeleteThe proof.
In the next elections for parliament the turn out will be even lower that this one. That's the big problem the opposition faces due to their clueless way of operating, because they are truly clueless and disjointed.
The result!
We will have whining from them yet again because they will fail to muster any support for them since their whole goal was the constitution and not the sinking pound, or the economy, or tourism receipts or production.
That means the smart MB and I have to give them credit because they are way smarter and politically aware, will gain most seats again.
The opposition had the great opportunity to change the status quo but they blew it. They turned the masses against them and those masses will not go out and vote for them in 2 months.
Meaning the Islamists will sweep the MP seats and the opposition dual national Starbucks drinking daddy's girls and boys will simply emigrate to their other home the USA along with ElB and Mousa and the rest of the backseat drivers.
No our Anonymous12/26/2012 12:15:00 AM is wrong in his first statement already. Only 42% of the eligible voters even participated. And what might work in elections does not hold for a nation's constitution. Such a basic Law has to be accepted by consensus not by a majority which came only to power because the former rulers were even more disgusting than the new ones.
DeleteMB has missed the historical opportunity to establish a tolerant and liberal Islamic system - they blew it.
Now we have constitution that allows the clerics to overrule any law or decree, be it passed by Parliament or by the President.
Those people do not care about our economy or whether tourists will find our country attractive. They expect Egyptians to live without sins, disregard their poverty, got to bed early and wake up early to go for prayer.
Egyptians should wake up and drive the brothers out of the country. Pakistan or Afghanistan will most happily receive them.
I was referring to the 32.9% turnout. Your statement of 43% participated is incorrect.
DeleteOn your statement 'And what might work in elections does not hold for a nation's constitution...etc' is just wishful thinking. No constitution around the world was approved unanimously... simply because we are human and it is in our nature to have different opinions about everything starting from how each house wife think ملوخية should taste up to embracing a religion.
I don't believe that the Egyptian people has the luxury of engaging in the controversy Byzantine around this constitution which is at the end of the day is a charter that organize the relationship in the society and hence is open for change since it is not a holy book.
Your statement that 'Egyptians should wake up and drive the brothers out of the country. Pakistan or Afghanistan will most happily receive them.' is simply a declaration of instability and nothing justify driving your opposition outside the country: they are citizens as much as you are a citizen.
lack of education to understand it or they refused the democratic way?
ReplyDelete