EGYPT: EGYPTIANS VOTE IN REFERENDUM ON WHETHER TO INTRODUCE DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WITH MORE THAN ONE CANDIDATE
Record ID:
328760
EGYPT: EGYPTIANS VOTE IN REFERENDUM ON WHETHER TO INTRODUCE DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WITH MORE THAN ONE CANDIDATE
- Title: EGYPT: EGYPTIANS VOTE IN REFERENDUM ON WHETHER TO INTRODUCE DIRECT PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS WITH MORE THAN ONE CANDIDATE
- Date: 25th May 2005
- Summary: (W2) CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 25, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. WS: CAIRO STREET 0.04 (W2) CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 25, 2005) (ETV - ACCESS ALL) 2. WIDE OF EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK IN TV STUDIO 0.09 3. (SOUNDBITE) (ARABIC) EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK SPEAKING IN A TELEVISED SPEECH TO THE NATION, SAYING: "Brothers and sisters, I asked for this change in the Constitution as it is my responsibility as a president of Egypt to respect people's will to chose who they want to govern them, whoever that might be and to move the nation closer to democracy which opens new doors for the people." 0.51 (W2) CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 25, 2005) (REUTERS) 4. WIDE OF POLLING STATION 0.58 5. SV/CU: PEOPLE GOING THROUGH LISTS (2 SHOTS) 1.05 6. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE REGISTERING, COLLECTING POLLING CARDS (2 SHOTS) 1.17 7. VARIOUS PEOPLE VOTING (3 SHOTS) 1.48 (BN10) CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 25, 2005) (REUTERS) 8. PRO-MUBARAK DEMONSTRATION OUTSIDE 1.58 9. VARIOUS OF MUBARAK SUPPORTERS WITH FLAGS, PORTRAITS (3 SHOTS) 2.11 10. HAS: DEMONSTRATORS SHOUTING SLOGAN: "WE ARE READY TO SACRIFICE OUR BLOOD AND SOULS FOR MUBARAK" 2.15 11. CAIRO STREET WITH PRO-MUBARAK POSTERS ON TAXIS AND BUSES (2 SHOTS) 2.26 12. EGYPTIAN PRESIDENT HOSNI MUBARAK AND HIS WIFE SUZANNE ARRIVING AT A POLLING STATION TO CAST THEIR VOTES 2.44 13. VARIOUS OF SUZANNE AND HOSNI MUBARAK VOTING (2 SHOTS) 2.57 (BN09) CAIRO, EGYPT (MAY 25, 2005) (REUTERS) 14. VARIOUS OF OPPOSITION SUPPORTERS TRYING TO GET THROUGH POLICE CORDON TO JOIN PROTEST AND BEING DETAINED (4 SHOTS) 3.17 15. OPPOSITION SUPPORTER SHOUTING WHILE BEING DETAINED: "HOSNI MUBARAK IS BETWEEN US AND YOU" 3.25 16. VARIOUS OF POLICE SCUFFLING WITH PROTESTERS / MAKING ARRESTS/ POLICE/ MEN IN STREET (3 SHOTS) 3.42 17. VARIOUS OF HELMETED POLICE AND PROTESTERS (2 SHOTS) 3.46 18. (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) ABDEL AZIZ, MEMBER OF KEFAYA MOVEMENT SAYING: "As soon as people started gathering and were standing here peacefully, police began making arrests. This is supposed to be freedom. We know nothing of any emergency regulations imposed for the referendum period." 3.55 19. MORE OF DEMONSTRATORS 3.59 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th June 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: CAIRO, EGYPT
- Country: Egypt
- Reuters ID: LVAF0EPOEQFMSJ3RY0FD4K9Q468J
- Story Text: Egypt holds referendum on introduction of direct
presidential elections, while opposition urges boycott.
Egyptians voted on Wednesday (May 25) in a
referendum on whether to introduce direct presidential
elections with more than one candidate, but opposition
groups called for a boycott saying the change did not go
far enough.
State media and government officials made a major
effort to persuade people to take part in the voting. State
television labelled the referendum an "historic moment". It
repeated several times a speech in which 77-year-old
Mubarak urged Egyptians to vote for the change.
In Cairo voters trickled into polling stations adorned
with posters of Mubarak and groups of voters carrying
Egyptian flags, pictures of Mubarak and signs reading "Yes
to democracy" staged demonstrations in central Cairo.
State television broadcast scenes of the president and
his wife, Suzanne, casting their votes.
The vote is on a constitutional amendment abolishing
the old system of referendums on a single candidate chosen
by parliament, which is dominated by President Hosni
Mubarak's ruling National Democratic Party (NDP).
Recognised political parties can field candidates in
the presidential elections this September, but in
subsequent polls they must first win five percent of the
seats in both houses of parliament -- a condition none of
them currently meets.
Independent candidates would need support from 65 of
the 444 elected members of the lower house, which is 90
percent dominated by the NDP, among other conditions.
The Muslim Brotherhood, which has no legal status but
is widely seen as the largest and most organised opposition
force, says the aim of the even tougher conditions on
independents is to stop the Islamist movement from fielding
a candidate.
Opposition groups have long called for reform but say
the conditions set in the amended Article 76 of the
constitution will secure the post, held by Mubarak since
1981, for NDP.
Groups of protesters campaigning for the boycott of the
referendum began gathering in central Cairo. Police
detained about 30 members of opposition groups, including
some 10 members of the Kefaya (Enough) protest movement,
which tried to demonstrate in Cairo.
As before many recent Kefaya events, large numbers of
Mubarak supporters turned up at the same venue to drown out
the opposition with chants of "Not enough" and "Yes to
Mubarak".
Riot police surrounded the Kefaya group while allowing
a much larger pro-Mubarak group to move freely. Men in
plain clothes dragged away at least three Kefaya
supporters.
It was impossible to judge the effectiveness of the
protests and calls for the boycott as many Egyptian
traditionally do not bother to vote anyway.
Washington has welcomed the move as a sign of positive
reform in the Arab world's most populous country.
Mubarak has yet to say whether he will seek a fifth
sixth-year term in September, but is widely expected to do
so because he has no obvious successor.
More than 30 million are entitled to vote but the
turnout in previous referendums has been very low.
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