MidEast

  • Print Friendly, PDF & Email
  • Send to Kindle

Egypt’s Opposition Calls For Protests

Egypt’s opposition is calling for protests and declaring that a weekend referendum on Egypt’s new constitution was marred by irregularities. The draft constitution was hastily passed weeks ago by Egypt’s Islamist-dominated constitutional assembly, as the country was in the midst of a political legitimacy crisis triggered by a power grab by President Mohamed Morsi. The draft was immediately criticized for emphasizing Islamic law and failing to adequately protect the rights of women and religious minorities. Criticism of the referendum’s legitimacy calls into question whether the voting, which will conclude this Saturday, can restore public faith in — or at least public acceptance of — the country’s Muslim Brotherhood-linked government.