CAIRO — President Mohammed Morsi issued a decree on Wednesday, Dec. 12 declaring that Egypt’s controversial constitutional referendum will be held in two phases. The first will cover 10 governorates, including the capital of Cairo, on Saturday Dec. 15, while the second will cover the remaining 17 governorates on Dec. 22.
The decision comes after weeks of failed attempts by the presidency and Egypt’s Supreme Judicial Council to sway thousands of judges not to boycott the referendum. The vote was rushed in response to a political crisis instigated by President Morsi’s Nov. 22 decree that granted him sweeping powers and immunity from judicial bodies.