The Egyptians living in the United States of America and Canada have started voting in the referendum on a set of proposed constitutional amendments, in the headquarters of the Egyptian embassies in Washington and Ottawa, and the consulate in New York.
Egyptian expatriates started a three-day voting on the new constitutional amendments in 140 embassies and consulates of 125 countries worldwide, amid massive campaigning for the amendments abroad and domestically.
Also Ahmed Abu Zeid, Egypt’s Ambassador to Ottawa, and other officials in the embassy were seen casting their vote.
“The referendum on constitutional amendments will be completely supervised by the judiciary,” said Judge Lasheen Ibrahim, head of the National Election Authority, at a press conference held at the headquarters of the State Information Service in Cairo’s Nasser City district. “There will be a judge at every ballot box. The media and civil society will be able to follow the process.”
Polls will be open Saturday through Monday to vote on the new amendments, which would increase the presidential term from four to six years, allocate 25 percent of parliamentary seats to women, and re-introduce the Shura Council under the name The Senate.