Egypt Votes in Second Referendum

A school with old posters of Mohamed Morsi, now the president, in Al Talbeya, a neighborhood in Giza, where disaffection with the government is growing. Photo by the New York Times

Egyptians have begun voting in a second stage of a constitutional referendum that has sparked weeks of unrest, BBC reported.

Some 250,000 security personnel have been deployed nationwide to try to keep order during the referendum.

The first round took place on 15 December in 10 of the 27 provinces.

Ballots will be cast in the 17 provinces which did not vote in a first round.

The areas are seen as more conservative and sympathetic to Morsi's Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Analysts suggest this will favour a Yes vote.

Opponents of President Mohammed Morsi have held huge protests to demand the referendum be scrapped, saying the new constitution favours Islamists.

Morsi's mainly Islamist supporters say the constitution will restore stability and democracy.

Tension over the document has helped to fuel weeks of violence, including clashes in Alexandria on Friday.

But opposition politicians said they thought further violence was likely.

"I see more unrest," Ahmed Said, head of the liberal Free Egyptians Party and a member of the opposition coalition, told BBC.

He said there had been "serious violations" on the first day of voting and that anger towards the president was growing.

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