Egypt's Supreme Election Committee told a news conference today that the country's new constitution has been approved by 63.8% of those casting votes. According to Al-Jazeera, the election commission says it reviewed every complaint that has been filed by independent and opposition election monitors, and has rejected all of them. The official turnout for the election, held in two parts on Dec. 15 and 22, was 32.9% of the country's 52 million eligible voters. Earlier this month, National Review published an excellent analysis of the provisions in the new constitution that relate to religious freedom and protection of the rights of minorities. The document was drafted largely by Islamists after representatives of non-Islamist parties and the Coptic Christian minority withdrew in protest from the Constitutional Assembly that was drafting the document. (See prior related posting.)
UPDATE: Reuters reports on Wednesday that President Morsi has signed the new constitution into law.
