Egypt's vice-president resigned on Saturday as Egyptians voted in a referendum that is expected to approve a new constitution that lays the foundations for the country's transition to democracy but will strip him of his role. Authorities extended voting by four hours in the second and decisive round of the plebiscite on an Islamist-drafted constitution that the opposition has criticised as divisive and likely to cause more unrest.
Just hours before polls closed, Vice President Mahmoud Mekky announced his resignation, saying he wanted to quit last month but stayed on to help President Mohamed Morsi tackle a crisis that blew up when the Islamist leader assumed wide powers. Mekky, a prominent judge who said he was uncomfortable in politics, disclosed earlier he had not been informed of Morsi's power grab. However, the timing of Mekky's move appeared linked to the fact there is no vice-presidential post under the draft constitution.
In a resignation letter, Mekky said that although he had held on in the post he had "realised for some time that the nature of political work did not suit my professional background as a judge". Islamist supporters of Morsi say the charter is vital to move towards democracy, nearly two years after an Arab Spring revolt overthrew authoritarian ruler Hosni Mubarak. It will help restore stability needed to fix a struggling economy, they say.
But the opposition says the document is divisive and has accused Morsi of pushing through a text that favours his Islamist allies while ignoring the rights of Christians, who make up about 10 percent of the population, as well as women. "I'm voting 'no' because Egypt can't be ruled by one faction," said Karim Nahas, 35, a stockbroker, heading to a polling station in Giza, a province included in this round of voting which covers parts of greater Cairo. At another polling station, some voters said they were more interested in ending Egypt's long period of political instability than in the Islamist aspects of the charter.
"We have to extend our hands to Morsi to help fix the country," said Hisham Kamal, an accountant. Queues formed at some polling stations around the country and voting was extended by four hours to 11 pm (2100 GMT). Unofficial tallies are likely to emerge within hours of the close, but the referendum committee may not declare an official result for the two rounds until Monday, after hearing appeals.
As polling opened on Saturday, a coalition of Egyptian rights groups reported a number of alleged irregularities. They said some polling stations had opened late, that Islamists urging a "yes" vote had illegally campaigned at some stations, and complained of irregularities in voter registration irregularities, including the listing of one dead person.
Last week's first round of voting gave a 57 percent vote in favour of the constitution, according to unofficial figures. Analysts expect another "yes" on Saturday because the vote covers rural and other areas seen as having more Islamist sympathisers. Islamists may also be able to count on many Egyptians who are simply exhausted by two years of upheaval.
Among the provisions of the new basic law are a limit of two four-year presidential terms. It says the principles of sharia law remain the main source of legislation but adds an article to explain this further. It also says Islamic authorities will be consulted on sharia - a source of concern to Christians and other non-Muslims. If the constitution is passed, a parliamentary election will be held in about two months. If not, an assembly will have to be set up to draft a new one. After the first round of voting, the opposition said alleged abuses meant the first stage of the referendum should be re-run.
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