Egypt: Voters approve constitution, say rival camps

Muslim Brotherhood reports 71% of voters say "yes" in second round of referendum on Islamist-drafted constitution.

By REUTERS
Egyptian poll workers count votes in referendum 370 (R) (photo credit: Reuters / Stringer)
Egyptian poll workers count votes in referendum 370 (R)
(photo credit: Reuters / Stringer)
CAIRO - Egypt's new constitution, which was drafted by an Islamist-dominated assembly, was approved by 64 percent of voters in a two-round referendum, an official in the Muslim Brotherhood said on Sunday citing the group's unofficial tally.
An official from Egypt's main opposition group, which campaigned against the constitution saying it would deepen divisions in Egypt, also said that its unofficial count indicated the document was approved.
The first round of voting was held on held on Dec. 15 and a second round was staged on Saturday, with roughly half Egypt's 51 million eligible voters covered in each round.
"According to our calculations, the final result of the second round is 71 percent voting 'yes' and the overall result (of the two rounds) is 63.8 percent," the Brotherhood official, who was in an operations room monitoring the vote, told Reuters.
Murad Ali, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, confirmed the numbers. His group propelled President Mohamed Morsi to office in a June election.
The Brotherhood and its party, as well as members of the opposition, had representatives monitoring polling stations and the vote count across the country. The opposition said voting in both rounds was marred by abuses.
"We can tell from the results so far that it will be a 'yes' vote," an official from the National Salvation Front told Reuters. "They (Islamists) are ruling the country, running the vote and influencing the people, so what else could we expect."