Batel (Void) online campaign that was launched by some Egyptian opposition figures from across the political spectrum to counter-act Abdul Fattah Al-Sisi’s push to change Egypt’s Constitution, late Monday posted a statement on its Facebook page commenting on the end of the referendum that the Egyptian regime held on 19, 20, 21, 22 April 2019 on the constitutional amendments that will allow Abdel- Fattah Al-Sisi to remain in power until 2030.
The campaign admins, together with other prominent Egyptian opposition figures issued on Monday 22 April issued a statement on non-recognition of the results of Sisi’s referendum, stating that they ”do not recognize any outcome, whatever it will be, resulting from this sham referendum and consider it completely null and void, both formally and substantively”.
Late Monday, the Batel Campaign posted a comment on the voting process in coincidence with the end of the last day of the referendum, saying that “with the end of the last and final hours of the so-called referendum on constitutional amendments on its third day, the curtain of the farcical play – a play where only one actor performed all roles, including: the hero and the audience; the president and the people; the executive power and the legislative power; the judge and the executioner; and even the sound and the silence”.
The campaign admins stated that “they have monitored gross and heinous violations that have completely undermined the legitimacy of the regime, its constitution, and its supporters both at home and abroad”.
The Batel campaign said it “documented countless violations committed by the regime on a systematic basis”. They said these violations included “purchase of votes, in exploitation of the suffering of the needy people who have been the victim of the regime’s failed policies”.
They said the turnout at home was only 5% to 7% while it barely reached 2.5% abroad, which reveals “that the Egyptian people have completely overturned these amendments, and thus rejected Sisi’s Constitution altogether,” the post said.
The campaign’s comment concluded that “the final outcome of all this means that the Egyptian people no longer consider this constitution to be expressive of their hopes; as it has been specifically designed to satisfy only one individual, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, and only one institution, the military institution, that has acquired a supra-State status against the will of Egyptians”.
Following is the literal translation of the Batel campaign’s comment on Sisi’s referendum with the end of the voting process on Monday:
[With the end of the last and final hours of the so-called referendum on constitutional amendments on its third day, the curtain of the farcical play came down – a play where only one actor performed all roles, including:
– The hero and the audience;
– The president and the people;
– The executive power and the legislative power;
– The judge and the executioner; and even
– The sound and the silence.
- During the voting process, we have monitored gross and heinous violations that have completely undermined the legitimacy of the regime, its constitution, and its supporters both at home and abroad.
- Batel (Void) campaign documented countless violations committed by the regime on a systematic basis, including purchase of votes, in exploitation of the suffering of the needy people who have been the victim of the regime’s failed policies.
- Batel campaign documented the security services’ terrorization of citizens and forcing them to go to polling stations and vote in favor of Sisi’s amendments – Including civil servants, private and business sector workers as well as ordinary people who were forced by policemen to get off buses and microbuses and go to the polling stations.
- Monitoring the polling stations both at home and abroad has revealed that the Egyptian people have completely overturned these amendments, and thus rejected Sisi’s Constitution altogether – as the turnout at home was only 5% to 7% while it barely reached 2.5% abroad. Also, we have documented that the no vote reached 65% abroad, which means that the regime was defeated twice: first by referendum boycotters; and then by citizens who participated and voted no.
In fact, the crimes committed by the regime of Abdul Fattah al-Sisi against Egypt and the Egyptians reflect the morals of an illegitimate authority that only relies on oppression and bullying, closer to the conduct of organized criminal gangs.
The final outcome of all this means that the Egyptian people no longer consider this constitution to be expressive of their hopes; as it has been specifically designed to satisfy only one individual, Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, and only one institution, the military institution, that has acquired a supra-State status against the will of Egyptians.
Today, Egypt has no constitution
Batel Campaign
22 April 2019]
