Egypt ends referendum on constitutional amendments

CAIRO – 22 April 2019: Polling stations nationwide in Egypt closed their doors late on Monday, concluding the third and final day of voting in a referendum on 14 amendments to the constitution.

Deputy Chairman and Spokesperson of the National Election Authority (NEA) Judge Mahmoud Helmy Sherif stated that the turnout was high, and that no complaints regarding the referendum process were submitted so far.

The referendum is observed by 22 international organizations and entities including 14 embassies, the European Union, and the Arab League. That is in addition to 58 local organizations.

Before vote: Know about powers granted to president by constitutional amendments

CAIRO - 16 April 2019: The parliamentary legislative subcommittee, headed by Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, approved on Sunday a set of proposed constitutional amendments paving the way for the Parliament to hold a final vote on them on Tuesday.

The new amendments would increase the presidential term from four to six years, allocate 25 percent of parliamentary seats to women, re-introduce the Shura Council and reinstate the vice president post.

The referendum voting was being conducted in 10,878 polling stations and 13,919 committees, while the number of judges supervising the referendum is about 20,000, assisted by some 120,000 employees.

The NEA is expected to announced the result of the entire vote shortly, for both Egyptians at home and abroad.

President Sisi was first elected president in 2014 after a popular uprising that sacked the Muslim Brotherhood regime. He was re-elected last year in a landslide victory where he secured 97 percent of the vote.