Egyptians have overwhelmingly backed a new secular constitution with initial results of a referendum on Thursday showing support for the draft, a development that could clear the way for a Presidential bid by country’s powerful Army Chief General Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.
The tally, released also showed that turnout in the two-day referendum was at least modestly higher than a 2012 constitutional ballot held during the rule of deposed President Mohammed Morsi.
An unofficial tally from 25 of Egypt’s 27 governorates showed that 97 per cent of voters said yes to the new constitution, with less than one per cent voting no. The remaining ballots were spoiled or otherwise invalid, Al Jazeera reported.There are no results yet from Cairo, the country’s most populous governorate, or from North Sinai.