By Heba Fahmy
CAIRO: In Shoubra, Egyptians headed to the polling stations on Saturday to vote in a public referendum on constitutional amendments, amid a process described by many as “smooth” and democratic.
Polling stations in Shoubra were set up in nine public schools around the district. Each classroom included a polling booth consisting of four voting committees. The committees were supervised by a judge or an official in the Administrative Prosecution or the General Prosecution.
Each committee consisted of three teachers guiding the voters and organizing the voting process.
The police were largely responsible for securing the polling stations and organizing the entrance of voters and media. Two army soldiers were seen outside each polling station to secure the area without interfering.
“We’ve only been here for three hours, but the turnout has been amazing,” Judge Khaled Metwally, head of polling booth number 2 at Mohamed Farid school in Shoubra told DNE.
“The security and organization of the referendum is very smooth and without any glitches,” Metwally added.
Many voters said it was their first time to cast a vote. “I feel like the country has more freedom and democracy now,” Soheir, en employee at the ministry of social solidarity told DNE.
The family of a physically disabled 23-year-old Ahmed Farid, helped him through the polling station to cast his vote for the first time in his life. “It’s my right and I must take it,” Farid said.
“I want Egypt to be the best country in the whole world,” he added.
Others said they had voted before in former parliamentary and presidential elections, however they considered the referendum their first true voting experience.
“In the former elections there was a lot of fraud, but now there’s no fraud,” Rafique Emil Alphonse, employee in a transport company told DNE.
“I always vote, it’s very smooth and disciplined and there’s a huge turn out today unlike the previous times,” said Emad Saber, employee in a cable company, who came with his family.
“I’m voting for a better future for her,” he added referring to his baby nephew.
“Now for the first time we vote without knowing what the outcome will be, it can go either way,” Yasmine, 24, said.
While many hailed the integrity and transparency of the process, a few questioned it.
“We’ll have to wait for the results to guarantee that the process was clean,” Michael, 23 said.
“We’ve heard that we should bring our own pens with us because they can use Chinese pens in the polling stations that rub off after a couple of hours which permits forgery,” Adel Abdel Megiud, 33, said.
“But we need to have more trust in the integrity of this referendum,” he added.
All the voters said that the process of voting was very smooth and there were no difficulties or complications.
In Shoubra Al Kheima Primary School, there was a heated debate between the supporters of the yes and the no camps.
“I’ve been through the wars of 1956, 1967 and 1973 and I’ve never seen [the chaos] I’ve seen in Egypt now.” Zeinab Abdel Nabi, 73, told DNE.
“We want stability in the country, we want a government and a president to rule us,” Abdel Nabi said. “I’m worried about the women who are being abducted and the people who are being killed by thugs.”
Abdel Meguid agreed. “We are the ones who will nominate the president and vote for the MPs and they will be forced to serve our best interest.”
Yasmine, 24, disagreed. “According the current constitution, the president has the authority to dissolve the parliament, he’s the head of the army and police, that’s a catastrophe in the making.”
Others, however, were still confused not knowing which vote would best serve Egypt’s future.
“I don’t know which way to vote,” Safeya Fathi, 46, said. “All the debates I heard on TV about the referendum have only confused me more.”
Pope Shenouda III, cast his vote at the Mohamed Farid school in Shoubra amid a large media presence.
The Pope’s councilor, Youssry Mikhael told DNE that, “The Pope hasn’t announced his position and wants everyone to feel free to vote as they choose.”
“But I believe most Egyptians want to vote “no” to establish a new constitution and a better country,” he added.
Mikhael said he would vote no to the constitutional amendments.
“We can’t forget the role played by the youth and the lives of the martyrs lost in the revolution,” Mikhael said. “We won’t jeopardize the revolution with this old constitution which served the former regime.”
Egyptian businessman Rami Lakah also cast his vote at Mohamed Farid school.
“We come here free, after we got rid of the era of thuggery and corruption under the rule Hosni Mubarak, “Lakah told reporters.
“Whatever the result is, we will respect it because this is a free [democratic process],” he added.
