CAIRO, Dec 23 (Reuters) – Early indications showed Egyptians
approved an Islamist-drafted constitution after Saturday’s final
round of voting in a referendum despite opposition criticism of
the measure as divisive.

An official from the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party,
which backs Islamist President Mohamed Mursi, said that after
nearly 4 million votes had been counted there was a majority of
74 percent in favour of the constitution.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Early indications suggested Egyptians approved an Islamist-drafted constitution in Saturday’s second-round referendum despite opposition criticism of the measure as divisive.

As counting began, an official from the Muslim Brotherhood’s political party, which backs President Mohamed Mursi, said a sample of a few hundred thousand votes had “yes” in the lead.

CAIRO, Dec 20 (Reuters) – Egypt’s chief public prosecutor,
forced to quit this week after opposition protests, retracted
his resignation on Thursday, setting the stage for more turmoil
as the nation votes in a referendum on its political future.

Prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim, appointed by President Mohamed
Mursi when he assumed sweeping new powers last month, said he
had changed his mind because his resignation on Monday had been
offered under duress.

CAIRO (Reuters) – Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi staged protests in Cairo on Tuesday against an Islamist-backed draft constitution that has divided Egypt but looks set to be approved in the second half of a referendum this weekend.

Several hundred protesters outside the presidential palace chanted “Revolution, revolution, for the sake of the constitution” and called on Mursi to “Leave, leave, you coward!”. While the protest was noisy, numbers were down on previous demonstrations.

CAIRO, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Egypt’s public prosecutor resigned
under pressure from his opponents in the judiciary, dealing a
blow to President Mohamed Mursi and drawing an angry response on
Tuesday from the Islamist leader’s supporters in the Muslim
Brotherhood.

Seeking to keep pressure on Mursi, the main opposition
coalition will hold new protests against an Islamist-backed
draft constitution that has divided Egypt but which looks set to
be approved in the second round of a referendum on Saturday.

CAIRO, Dec 18 (Reuters) – Egypt’s opposition will hold new
protests on Tuesday against an Islamist-backed draft
constitution that has divided the nation but which looks set to
be approved in the second round of a referendum next weekend.

Islamist President Mohamed Mursi obtained a 57 percent “yes”
vote for the constitution in a first round of the referendum on
Saturday, state media said, less than he had hoped for.

CAIRO, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Egyptians voted narrowly in favour
of a constitution shaped by Islamists and which opponents said
was a recipe for deepening divisions in the nation, officials in
rival camps said on Sunday after the first round of a two-stage
referendum.

The result based on unofficial tallies, if confirmed for
this round and repeated in Saturday’s second stage, may give
Islamist President Mohamed Mursi limited cause for celebration
as it shows the wide rift in Egypt at a time when he needs to
build consensus on tough measures to heal a fragile economy.

CAIRO, Dec 16 (Reuters) – Islamists attacked the offices of
an Egyptian opposition party newspaper on Saturday, security
sources said, as people voted on a new constitution intended to
pull the country out of a growing political crisis.

The newspaper of the Wafd party in Cairo was targeted with
petrol bombs and birdshot, the sources said, in the latest of a
series of violent incidents surrounding a divisive referendum
designed to pave the way to national elections next year.

CAIRO, Dec 15 (Reuters) – Egyptians decide on Saturday on a
constitution promoted by its Islamist backers as the way out of
a prolonged political crisis and rejected by opponents as a
recipe for further divisions in the Arab world’s biggest nation.

Voting begins in a referendum on a divisive draft basic law
that has pitted Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Mursi
against a liberal, secular and Christian opposition in often
bloody clashes in Cairo and other cities.

CAIRO, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Flag-waving supporters of Egyptian
President Mohamed Mursi staged a final rally on Friday before a
divisive referendum on a new constitution that the Islamist
leader hopes will bring an end to weeks of political crisis and
street clashes.

Cairo and other cities have seen a series of often violent
demonstrations over the past three weeks since Mursi assumed
sweeping new powers to push through the constitution, which he
sees as a vital element of Egypt’s transition to democracy after
the overthrow of autocratic predecessor Hosni Mubarak last year.