Mistrust running deep over Egypt referendum
Associated Press
CAIRO
Nevine Mustafa finally had enough after 10 hours of waiting to cast her “no” vote in Egypt’s referendum on a highly disputed draft constitution. She and the other women in line were convinced the judge running the polling station was deliberately stalling to drive away voters opposed to the document.
So the 39-year-old housewife and dozens of other women launched a protest, blocking the street and chanting against the judge in an upper class district of Alexandria.
“The line was not moving since 8 a.m. I protest. It is now 7 p.m.,” an agitated Mustafa said at the time. “He wants us to get bored and leave.” After their protest, new officials were brought in to speed up the process.
The scene was a reflection of the deep distrust of Egypt’s ruling Islamists and their management of a referendum on a draft constitution that they largely wrote. Questions raised Sunday over the referendum’s legitimacy suggest the confrontation between Islamists and their secular, liberal and Christian opponents will not be resolved by the long-awaited vote.
As Islamist President Mohammed Morsi rushed the referendum despite high pitched opposition, the dispute over the charter has turned into a fight over the Islamists’ hold on power, and the ballot has become a yes or no vote on the president himself.