The National Salvation Front (NSF), the country’s largest opposition group, announced it will continue in its plight despite voting violations in the referendum, in a press conference Sunday.
The NSF said it will keep fighting until the Egyptian people gain their rights and freedoms, which include the right, to choose their leaders and change them periodically through elections.
The opposition bloc had set up an operation room, where it documented the alleged violations and presented them to the Supreme Electoral Committee and Prosecutor General.
The violations included, “the lack of full judicial oversight… the opening of some polling stations late and the closing of others, early….” according to NSF.
It added that some of the voters were directed to vote “Yes” inside polling stations by the heads of stations and employees inside the station.
Amr Hamzawy, member of the National Council of Human Rights in Egypt said, “there have been many violations and we are demanding that they are investigated before the announcement of the official results.”
The National Salvation Front has made it clear that it will use all peaceful methods available to bring down the constitution.
Politician and activist, George Ishaq, added that he has seen people who were not able to vote because of the long queues, caused by the slow voting process.
This comes one day after the final phase of voting on the draft constitution in 17 governorates. While official results are yet to be announced, the preliminary results seem to point towards the direction of “Yes.”
The NSF said, “The referendum is not the end. It is just one battle in the long struggle over the future of Egypt,” and that it will not stop until it guarantees the people security, food, education, healthcare and housing.
It added that whatever the result will be, the people deserve respect for heavily voting “No” and for not responding to the misleading propaganda that portrayed this as a vote on Shari’a. “The Egyptians have discovered that Islam has nothing to do with Islam,” the NSF said.
Despite the expected result, the NSF says that it will be more active and cohesive in the future and will have a larger political influence.
Mohamed Abul-Ghar said that some parties inside the NSF will join forces to form a larger party, which will remain part of the front.
The opposition bloc intends to take part in the People’s Assembly elections, set to be held if the constitution is passed.
The NSF has been among the fiercest critics of the draft constitution, since it was released by the Constituent Assembly on 30 November and has urged people to vote “No.”
Hamdeen Sabahy said, “we will not be able to build our future on a constitution upon which, there is no consensus.”
Al-Saeed, added, “the constitution is fallen, by inheritance, because it was produced by an illegitimate assembly.”
