National Referendum Approves Constitutional Amendments


A referendum on a set of proposed amendments to nine major articles in the Egyptian Constitution was held today. While the referendum was generally characterized as peaceful, Mohamed ElBaradei and his supporters were attacked outside a polling center in the Mokattam district of Cairo. The proposed amendments passed with 77% approval, and 41% of the 45 million eligible voters cast ballots. Both the National Democratic Party (NDP) and the Muslim Brotherhood supported the referendum, though other groups feared that its approval would confirm a too-brief transition period that would benefit the NDP and the Brotherhood, the two entities widely considered most capable of capitalizing on early elections.