Mixed feelings in Egypt ahead of key referendum

By Pakinam Amer Mar 25, 2007, 18:13 GMT

Cairo - Ahead of Monday's referendum on the amendment of 34 constitutional articles, the mood on the Egyptian street is fluctuating between two extremes.

The opposition forces are enraged by the proposed amendments while the man in the street is displaying marked indifference.

The amendments which would make changes to anti-terrorist legislation and the conduct of elections are believed to be a threat to civil liberties, stripping citizens of basic freedoms and judicial control over upcoming electoral processes.

Central Cairo and top national universities have been witnessing a wave of opposition protests, led by such forces as the Kifaya (Enough) movement and the banned Muslim Brotherhood, over the government-backed draft of the proposed changes.

During Monday's referendum, Egyptians are being asked to vote on the entire draft of amendments, without being able to reject some and approve others. The same applied to Egypt's lower house of parliament, which discussed, reviewed and initially approved the changes as a package.

Amongst others, the draft amendments introduce a new anti-terror bill under Article 179 that places binding restrictions on Egyptians. The restrictions were deemed by many as an 'infringement' of personal privacy.

For instance, in case of emergencies and threats to national security, which are defined vaguely by the proposed bill, the police has the right to bypass individual freedoms.

In such cases, the monitoring of private phones and correspondence would be allowed, and arrests without warrants and the referral of civilians to military courts would be sanctioned.

Many opposition members believe that the new anti-terrorism law re-introduces the long-standing state of emergency 'under a different name.'

In addition, a much-anticipated change that has been called for by many Muslim and Coptic Christian thinkers has been overlooked. Article 2 of the constitution which enshrines Islamic law as the main and only source of law is not being changed.

Many intellectuals had called for this change, deeming it the benchmark of equality of citizenship in Egypt.

Independent observers have said that ignoring such an article was a deliberate act by the government, who is seen to be 'at war' with the conservative Muslim Brotherhood.

Many of the proposed changes to the constitution (such as banning religious parties) are seen to be directly targeting the banned, yet popular, Muslim Brothers.

Meanwhile, observers are saying that there will be a low turnout for the national referendum.

Many say that the lack of faith in the Egyptian regime, the disinterest of the man on the street - weighed down by economic and financial difficulties - will decide the fate of the amendments. Awaiting the much-criticized vote, ordinary Egyptians seem reluctant to give their opinions or even invest effort in protest.

'People do not believe or even understand that they can cause change,' said Mohammed Sayyid Saed, political analyst and a former leftist. 'There is a feeling of powerlessness.'

A random sampling of the views of the man on the street confirms the analysts' remarks. Many of those interviewed refused to be identified for fear of the security police.

A 35-year-old Egyptian taxi driver, who spoke on condition of anonymity, was dismissive of the proposed constitutional changes and the opposition.

'Those who said 'No' achieved nothing. (Imprisoned politician) Ayman Nour said no, and see where he is now,' the driver said. 'What they (opposition forces) are doing is meaningless.'

He added that he will not vote on Monday; 'I give my vote to something that would benefit me and benefit the people. If there is no benefit, then it's better to attend to one's job and other matters.'

People are more concerned with their own financial problems, it seems, and many have lost faith in politics.

But despite the expected low turnout, opposition protests are currently being prepared for and the possible police response to them are dreaded.

A few days before the referendum, security forces and truckloads of riot police are spread in and around Cairo.

'They plan to abort the pickets before they even begin, and they're giving a message to the opposition through the beefed-up security,' said Saed.

One opposition senior leader said that the opposition would not disclose their specific plans in advance.

'The government is in a state of vigilance, so we will not disclose now what we will do on Monday,' said Nagy al-Ghatrify, the liberal al-Ghad leader. 'But we will do all we can to stop these changes from taking place, and impede the referendum.'

As the opposition prepares, the government are campaigning in the media to promote the amendments and urge people to vote.

Terms such as 'civic duty' and 'sacred obligation' were being extensively used in an attempt to encourage people to head to the ballot boxes on Monday.