Egyptian constitutional referendum, 2005
Encyclopedia
The 2005 Egyptian constitutional referendum took place in Egypt
on 25 May 2005. The referendum
was on a proposed change to the constitution of Egypt
which would establish direct election
s for the presidency
. The opposition parties called for a boycott
of the vote, which was passed by a large majority.
decided upon a candidate for president. That candidate was then confirmed by the people in a referendum. The incumbent
president Hosni Mubarak
was confirmed in four referendums in 1981, 1987, 1993 and 1999 receiving at least 95% supporting votes in each referendum. By 2005 international and domestic pressure grew for reforms to this process to permit direct election
s for the presidency.
On the 26 February 2005 President Mubarak called on parliament to amend Article 76 of the constitution to allow multi candidate elections for president to take place in time for the presidential election due later in the year. This change would then be put to a referendum in May. On the 10 May the Parliament of Egypt
overwhelmingly approved the change to the constitution by 405 votes to 34 and the referendum was set for the 25 May.
Do you agree to amending Article 76 of the Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt?
in order to stand. Candidates from political parties could stand in the upcoming election in September, but for future presidential elections they would have to win 5% of the seats in the People's Assembly before being able to field a candidate. Political parties would also have to have existed for five years before they could put a candidate up for election. The councils and parliament were all dominated by members of the governing National Democratic Party
and no other political party then met the 5% level. As a result the opposition said that the changes would not allow candidates to stand unless the governing party permitted them to. As well as the legal opposition parties, the banned Muslim Brotherhood
group also called on voters to boycott the vote, describing it as meaningless.
The government described the amendment as the historic beginning of a new democratic era. They said that restrictions on who could stand as a candidate were necessary in order to prevent candidates who would use their wealth to buy votes and to ensure that only candidates who had a serious chance could stand.
On the 24 May five petitions by the opposition to stop the vote were rejected by the Egyptian judiciary.
demonstrators were beaten by government agents and supporters. Observers reported seeing a low turnout
at the polls in the capital Cairo but reports said there had been a larger turnout elsewhere.
Many Egyptians got time off from work to vote and the Governor of Cairo gave free public transport to those who showed their voter registration
card. In a number of areas government employees were taken by bus to the polling stations in order to vote with support for President Mubarak being said to be one of the main reasons for people to vote yes in the referendum. The official turnout figures at around 54% were higher than in any previous presidential referendum.
turnout was often over 90%. The Interior Ministry, however, rejected these claims saying that people in Southern Egypt had turned out in high levels due to their interest in voting.
Presidential elections
were held under the amended constitution in September 2005 and President Mubarak was re-elected with over 88% of the vote on a low turnout.
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on 25 May 2005. The referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
was on a proposed change to the constitution of Egypt
Constitution of Egypt
The Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt was the fundamental law of Egypt. It was adopted on September 11, 1971 through a public referendum. It was later amended in 1980, 2005 and 2007. It was proclaimed to update the democratic representative system in assertion of the rule of law,...
which would establish direct election
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
s for the presidency
President of Egypt
The President of the Arab Republic of Egypt is the head of state of Egypt.Under the Constitution of Egypt, the president is also the supreme commander of the armed forces and head of the executive branch of the Egyptian government....
. The opposition parties called for a boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
of the vote, which was passed by a large majority.
Background
Under the existing constitution the Parliament of EgyptParliament of Egypt
The Parliament of Egypt is the currently dissolved bicameral legislature of Egypt. The Parliament is located in Cairo, Egypt's capital. As the legislative branch of the Egyptian government, the Parliament enacts laws, approves the general policy of the State, the general plan for economic and...
decided upon a candidate for president. That candidate was then confirmed by the people in a referendum. The incumbent
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
president Hosni Mubarak
Hosni Mubarak
Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak is a former Egyptian politician and military commander. He served as the fourth President of Egypt from 1981 to 2011....
was confirmed in four referendums in 1981, 1987, 1993 and 1999 receiving at least 95% supporting votes in each referendum. By 2005 international and domestic pressure grew for reforms to this process to permit direct election
Direct election
Direct election is a term describing a system of choosing political officeholders in which the voters directly cast ballots for the person, persons or political party that they desire to see elected. The method by which the winner or winners of a direct election are chosen depends upon the...
s for the presidency.
On the 26 February 2005 President Mubarak called on parliament to amend Article 76 of the constitution to allow multi candidate elections for president to take place in time for the presidential election due later in the year. This change would then be put to a referendum in May. On the 10 May the Parliament of Egypt
Parliament of Egypt
The Parliament of Egypt is the currently dissolved bicameral legislature of Egypt. The Parliament is located in Cairo, Egypt's capital. As the legislative branch of the Egyptian government, the Parliament enacts laws, approves the general policy of the State, the general plan for economic and...
overwhelmingly approved the change to the constitution by 405 votes to 34 and the referendum was set for the 25 May.
Referendum question
Egyptian voters were asked to vote on the question:Do you agree to amending Article 76 of the Constitution of the Arab Republic of Egypt?
Campaign
Opposition parties called on voters to boycott the referendum. They were opposed to the strict requirements that the amended constitution would require candidates to meet in order to be able to stand in presidential elections. Under the proposed amendment independent candidates would be required to get the support of 250 elected members of councils and parliament including 65 of the 444 members of the People's Assembly of EgyptPeople's Assembly of Egypt
The People's Assembly is the lower house of Egypt's bicameral parliament. In spite of its lower status, however, it plays a more important role in drafting legislation and day-to-day legislative duties than the Shura Council, the upper house....
in order to stand. Candidates from political parties could stand in the upcoming election in September, but for future presidential elections they would have to win 5% of the seats in the People's Assembly before being able to field a candidate. Political parties would also have to have existed for five years before they could put a candidate up for election. The councils and parliament were all dominated by members of the governing National Democratic Party
National Democratic Party (Egypt)
The National Democratic Party , often simply called Al-Ḥizb al-Waṭaniy – the "National Party", was an Egyptian political party. It was founded by President Anwar El Sadat in 1978....
and no other political party then met the 5% level. As a result the opposition said that the changes would not allow candidates to stand unless the governing party permitted them to. As well as the legal opposition parties, the banned Muslim Brotherhood
Muslim Brotherhood
The Society of the Muslim Brothers is the world's oldest and one of the largest Islamist parties, and is the largest political opposition organization in many Arab states. It was founded in 1928 in Egypt by the Islamic scholar and schoolteacher Hassan al-Banna and by the late 1940s had an...
group also called on voters to boycott the vote, describing it as meaningless.
The government described the amendment as the historic beginning of a new democratic era. They said that restrictions on who could stand as a candidate were necessary in order to prevent candidates who would use their wealth to buy votes and to ensure that only candidates who had a serious chance could stand.
On the 24 May five petitions by the opposition to stop the vote were rejected by the Egyptian judiciary.
Voting
On the day of the referendum itself demonstrations were made against the strict rules on who would be able to stand in future presidential elections. At protests in CairoCairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
demonstrators were beaten by government agents and supporters. Observers reported seeing a low turnout
Voter turnout
Voter turnout is the percentage of eligible voters who cast a ballot in an election . After increasing for many decades, there has been a trend of decreasing voter turnout in most established democracies since the 1960s...
at the polls in the capital Cairo but reports said there had been a larger turnout elsewhere.
Many Egyptians got time off from work to vote and the Governor of Cairo gave free public transport to those who showed their voter registration
Voter registration
Voter registration is the requirement in some democracies for citizens and residents to check in with some central registry specifically for the purpose of being allowed to vote in elections. An effort to get people to register is known as a voter registration drive.-Centralized/compulsory vs...
card. In a number of areas government employees were taken by bus to the polling stations in order to vote with support for President Mubarak being said to be one of the main reasons for people to vote yes in the referendum. The official turnout figures at around 54% were higher than in any previous presidential referendum.
Official results
| Electorate | Invalid votes | Turnout (%) | For (%) | Against (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32,036,353 | 778,856 | 17,184,302 (53.6) | 13,593,552 (82.9) | 2,811,894 (17.1) |
| Source: ElectionGuide | ||||
Aftermath
Following the referendum a report produced by Egyptian judges for the Cairo Judges' Syndicate said that the referendum had seen large scale fraud and that the results had been falsified. They said that polling stations where they had supervised voting had seen only a very low turnout, while in areas overseen by civil servantsCivil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
turnout was often over 90%. The Interior Ministry, however, rejected these claims saying that people in Southern Egypt had turned out in high levels due to their interest in voting.
Presidential elections
Egyptian presidential election, 2005
The Egyptian presidential election of 2005, held on September 7, 2005, was the first allegedly contested presidential election in Egypt's history. Hosni Mubarak, the former President of Egypt, won a fifth consecutive six-year term in office, with official results showing he won 88.6% of the vote...
were held under the amended constitution in September 2005 and President Mubarak was re-elected with over 88% of the vote on a low turnout.