Hundreds of early risers and political novices gathered in front of polling stations this morning to vote on the constitutional amendments, the long queues and the blazing sun were a fertile ground for heated conversations and political debates.
The Muslim Brotherhood and Islamists’ campaigns encouraging people to vote yes, sometimes using material incentives, occupied most voters’ conversations.
“We won’t revive the dead, said Maha Badrawy, a middle-aged woman in Sheikh Rihan polling station, downtown. According to Badrawy the old constitution became obsolete with the falling of the old regime and Former President Hosni Mubarak.
Many stated that voting ‘yes’ would give way to the residues of the old regime to regain power and allow the Muslim brotherhood to establish itself as a dominating party in the parliament, which is frowned upon by many. This is particularly the case because a yes vote will lead to early elections for which the Muslim Brotherhood are believed to be the readiest for the contest.
“The Muslim Brotherhood have already started their deceiving campaign urging the unprivileged and the uneducated to vote for the amendments, stating that ‘yes’ is a religious duty,” concludes Badrawy.
In the last parliamentary elections, people of Abdin voted for the Muslim Brotherhood candidate Gamal Hanafy only to eradicate the opposing NDP candidate, states Emad Abou Zahra, a voter at the Abdeen polling station. “This time I am voting solely for the best interest of my country,” adds Abou Zahra.
“The old cunning ways of the past will not work this time, “says Salwa, a voter standing in the Queue of Ibrahimiya School in Garden City. The MB deceiving banners and free meals convinced me in addition to a large number of my friends to vote No. According to the young woman the MB does not represent the educated segment of our society. “But unfortunately, they will get through to the less privileged and the poor,” concludes Salwa.
Hala Mustafa, chief editor of Al-Ahram’s Democracy Journal, it was important to put a halt on such campaigns so that they don’t affect voters’ opinions.
"I think that the SCAF should have issued a warning against any political party or force to mobilize people on the streets using any form of incentives, just like it prevented the media from publishing any opinion on the referendum ahead of the voting.”
