On December 25 Egypt’s President Mohammed Morsi signed the new constitution into law. The constitution was passed by a referendum vote of about 63%. In a televised address to the nation, Morsi congratulated the Egyptian people while at the same time acknowledging the challenges ahead and the difficult process it took to get to this point. “Yes, there were mistakes on both sides during this temporary period,” the president said. “I bear the responsibility with you. I only took decisions for God and in the interests of the nation.”
Morsi rejected claims by his opponents that the vote was fraudulent and said he would work to boost the Egyptian economy as the nation moved forward. “I will deploy all my efforts to boost the Egyptian economy, which faces enormous challenges but has also big opportunities for growth, and I will make all the changes necessary for this task,” he said. Morsi also made a point of condemning the violence that had erupted periodically in the time leading up to the referendum vote. “Unfortunately, some people didn’t realize the difference between the right to express one’s opinion and the recourse to violence to try to impose one’s opinion by hindering public institutions.”
Turnout in the referendum was 32.9% of Egypt’s 52 million voters.
The result was announced on Tuesday and parliamentary elections must now take place within two months.
