Low turnout on second day of voting in canal cities

There was a low turnout and high security in the canal governorates on the second day of the constitutional referendum. 

Port Said

Delegates from the American Centre for Democracy monitored the referendum in the northern Suez Canal governorate of Port Said on Wednesday after receiving clearance from local authorities, reported media outlets.

With the exception of a few polling stations, voter-turnout rate was reportedly low in Port Said City, especially on this second day of voting.

Privately-owned daily Al-Masry Al-Youm mentioned a low voter turnout rate during the early hours of Wednesday. However, privately-owned ONA News Agency reported a high voter turnout rate — especially during the afternoon hours — along with plenty of campaigning in support of the constitution.

Vehicles were reported to be circling Port Said city with posters promoting a “yes” vote for the draft constitution. As in many other parts of the country, pro-army songs were being playing via loudspeakers around polling stations. 

“No” campaigns have been driven underground, with those campaigning against the draft constitution often being subjected to arrests and harassment across the country.

Ismailiya

Videos circulated on Wednesday of Ismailiya’s Governor, General Ahmed Baha el-Dein al-Qassas, inspecting polling stations across this central Suez Canal governorate.

The governor commended judges and vote-monitors for their roles in supervising the referendum. Al-Qassas also greeted voters in queues and thanked them for their participation.

Some voters waved Egyptian flags, while others carried posters of General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi — who is currently occupying the positions of deputy prime minister, minister of defense, minister of military production, chief of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, and commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

Sisi recently made comments hinting that he would also seek the presidency, if the draft constitution was widely approved in the referendum.

Voter turnout appeared to be mediocre at polling stations on the second day of the referendum, with an apparently greater number of women than men voting.

Many women ululated in joy, as the governor passed by, flanked by army and police officers, while a few men chanted, “the army, police and populace are one hand.”

Suez

On Wednesday, Suez Governor Araby al-Serawai claimed that 35 percent of eligible voters — out of some 396,000 — in the governorate cast their ballots on Tuesday, the first day of the referendum in Egypt.

Al-Serawai said that he believed that voters would show up in even greater numbers throughout Wednesday.

Speaking to Egyptian media outlets on the second day of the referendum, the governor mentioned that residents of the Suez Governorate voted in large numbers, as they were “adamant on seeing the success of the political roadmap,” proposed by the interim authorities.

For the second day, army helicopters flew back and forth over the Suez Canal, governmental buildings, and polling stations to ensure the security of the voting process and maritime traffic flowed through the canal without any security breaches.