Egypt referendum: Government accused of using bribes and threats to force voters to support Sisi

The constitutional amendments would allow the president to remain in power until 2030

An Egyptian man flashes his ink-stained fingers after voting in a referendum on constitutional amendments, at a school in the village of al-Ayat, 90 km south of capital Cairo (AFP/Getty Images)

Polls closed on Monday night after Egyptians voted in a referendum expected to allow President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to stay in power until 2030 – amid allegations of widespread vote-buying and bribery.

The proposed constitutional amendments would extend presidential term limits from four to six years, increase the role of the Egyptian military, and grant the president more control over the judiciary. Results are expected to be announced on 27 April.

Across in Cairo there was a festive atmosphere, with nationalist songs played outside polling stations as pro-state supporters cheered, danced, and chanted slogans.

Private and public TV stations meanwhile ran patriotic videos hoping to mobilise people to cast a vote in favour of the president.

Supporters believe Sisi should stay for a longer to term in order to complete the national projects he started and secure the country from any Islamist militant insurgence.

“Sisi saved this country from the dangers of Islamism, and from the fate of Syria and Iraq that now are drowning in chaos,” Yasmine, a 45-year-old bank teller, told The Independent. She asked that just her first name be used.

“Several presidents have stayed in power for long terms in order to achieve peace and stability, such as Merkel, Erdogan, and Putin,” she added.

But the government has been accused of threatening civilians to vote in order to boost turnout, and buying off pro-Sisi votes with bribes.

On the third and final night of the referendum, around a hundred people gathered outside a shopping mall in Alexandria waiting to receive the promised boxes of food rations.

Mervat Hassan, a 56-year-old housewife from Alexandria, had been sitting outside for four hours after she had been promised a box of food for voting.

“I have been sitting here for hours in vain,” she said.

In downtown Cairo, dozens of voters were bussed from other governorates to cast their votes.

Sisi saved this country from the dangers of Islamism, and from the fate of Syria and Iraq that now are drowning in chaos

Yasmine

Imam, a minibus driver from Cairo said that he and his colleagues were threatened by officials to transport people from to polling station.

“For every 14 people I delivered I got 60 pounds (£2.70), and every person got a rations box,” he said.

Four of the men who were driven by Imam, all construction workers from Sharqyia, said that pro-government campaigners came to their village two weeks before the referendum and promised them a food box for voting in favour of the amendments.

“They told us we will receive a card that will get stamped in the polling station after we show the workers referendum employees that we voted yes. After that they stamped it, and we headed to a distribution spot where we received the rations after we showed the card,” one of the men said, who asked not to be named.

Mahmoud, a teacher from Monofyia, said he refused the bribe and reported the incident to the judge responsible of the polling station.

“I refuse to sell my vote for food. The regime might have stripped us of many things including decent living conditions, education, and healthcare, but they will not take our dignity.”

Several shop owners and restaurant managers also accused the police of forcing them to put up pro-Sisi posters, which they then had to pay for.

“I was visited by policemen from the nearest police station and threatened to pay 3,000 pounds (£135)” Said Samy, a shop owner in Giza, told The Independent.

“They took the money and put up the posters saying that I and other shop workers support the amendments.”

Nevertheless, Samy said he and two of the workers in the shop still voted against the amendments.

I refuse to sell my vote for food. The regime might have stripped us of many things including decent living conditions, education, and healthcare, but they will not take our dignity

Mahmoud

Mohamed, an owner of a snack kiosk in the streets of Cairo, said that the police threatened to remove his shop by force citing late bills if he did not put up the posters.

This was echoed by Samir Riyad, a tourism company owner in Aswan: “There is no freedom in this. We had to pay, or they will come after us.”

“Even the rich shop owners submitted in order to avoid trouble or harassment,” Riyad added.

A judicial source working with the Ministry of Justice, who oversaw a voting station in Luxor, confirmed he had seen food boxes being handed out to voters, but said that the judiciary cannot intervene when it takes place outside the polling station.

A representative from the Ministry of Interior’s Department for Human Rights told The Independent “there is no proof that these boxes were distributed in order to affect the people’s vote.”

“The holy month of Ramadan is approaching and Egyptians like to do charity work, which is what you might have seen.”

The representative refused to comment on whether police have participated in assisting campaigners to distribute boxes.