Vote proceeds smoothly in Egypt on second day

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station in the Nasr City neighbourhood of Cairo yesterday.AFP/CairoVoting proceeded smoothly yesterday in a referendum on a new Egyptian constitution after clashes killed nine people on day one, with turnout seen as key to a likely presidential bid by the army chief. There is little question the two-day vote will pass the new charter, which the military-installed interim authorities say provides greater protections for freedom of speech and women’s rights, as the Islamist opposition has called a boycott.  But government and opposition alike will be closely watching the turnout for the first vote since the army ousted Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July. Dozens of Mursi supporters blocked a metro station in a Cairo suburb yesterday, security officials said, but there were no reports of disruption to polling. On Tuesday, sporadic clashes between Mursi supporters and their opponents and police left at least nine dead. Egypt’s first freely elected president was ousted by army chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi after mass protests against his turbulent single year in power. Sisi has said he is prepared to stand in a presidential election promised for later this year, if there is enough popular support, and the two-day referendum provides the first concrete test. In December 2012, 33% of the country’s 53mn voters turned out for a referendum on the charter drafted by Mursi’s team, with 64% voting yes. The new text has done away with much of the Islamist-inspired wording of Mursi’s charter, but it bolsters the military’s powers and allows it to try civilians for attacks on the armed forces. Mursi’s Brotherhood was designated a terrorist group by the military-installed authorities as part of their crackdown on the movement that dominated all previous polls since the ouster of long-time ruler Hosni Mubarak in early 2011. More than 300 people have been arrested for disrupting polling since voting began on Tuesday. US Secretary of State John Kerry said he hoped the referendum would be “transparent and accountable”.  “But we don’t know yet,” he told reporters in Kuwait. On Tuesday, State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said that a bill Congress is expected to pass tomorrow will allow the White House to unfreeze all $1.5bn in US aid if it can certify that Egypt “has held a constitutional referendum, and is taking steps to support a democratic transition”. Egyptian media hailed Tuesday’s first day of polling. “Yes, even if criminals hate it,” said a front page headline in Al Wafd, a private daily, referring disparagingly to supporters of Mursi. “Egyptians choose their future as millions write history,” said state-owned daily Al Gomhuria. The government hopes a large turnout in favour of the new constitution will bolster its disputed authority, while army chief Sisi will monitor it for an “indicator” of his popularity, an official close to the general said. Interim President Adly Mansour’s government has pledged the referendum will be followed by parliamentary and presidential elections. Backers of the charter are hoping it will garner the support of at least 70% of votes cast.