- DemocracyReform Issues
- March 19, 2011
- 2 minutes read
Egyptians take to street for historical referendum
Egypt is witnessing a historical moment as thousands vote on constitutional amendments drafted by the 10 man committee chosen by the military following the ousting of Mubarak after the January 25 Revolution.
Egypt’s strongest political opposition the Muslim Brotherhood pushed for yes agreeing initially to the proposals.
Key proposals include:
Reducing presidential terms from six to four years and limiting the president to two terms
Demanding the president choose a deputy within 30 days of his election
Installing new criteria for presidential candidates, mainly they must be over 40 years old and must be married to an Egyptian citizen
Judicial supervision over elections
Opinions varied in the streets as those against the changes demanded bigger changes stressing that the committee did not radically overhaul presidential powers stressing that the next parliament should entirely rewrite the constitution. Those voting no argue that dozens of smaller parties set up following the uprising have yet to fully organise themselves.