By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Middle East

CAIRO, Egypt – Adly Mansour, Egypt’s interim president called on citizens to vote “yes” for the amended constitution in a referendum vote that will be held in mid-January. Mansour said the vote, set for Jan. 14-15, would be a first step in Egypt’s transition to a modern democratic state.

Mansour told an audience of government officials, which included members of a government panel that was reasonable for drafting the constipation, and relatives of victims of the past three years of unrest across the countries that “The document in our hands today is a text that should make every Egyptian proud, and (it is) the correct starting point for building the institutions of the modern democratic state that we all aspire to,” claiming the amended constitution is a important step towards what the military-backed government calls a transition to democracy.

On Friday Egypt’s Interior Ministry reported that at least two demonstrators were killed, sixteen arrested and 54 arrested during a protest against the military-run government.

The first protester killed in during the protests was shot and killed by birdshot during clashes between demonstrators and Egyptian police in the canal city of Suez. The second Demonstrator was killed during a clash between ant-government protesters and supporters of the military-backed government in the town of Fayoum, a community south of Cairo.

Since the military-backed government seized power in July Egyptian security forces have brutally cracked down on ant-government protesters. According to Human Rights Watch more than 1,000 people have been killed the organization says has been the most violent era in modern Egyptian history. The majority of the victims have been supporters of Mohamed Morsi, who was thrown out of power in July.

Some Morsi-Supporters and Islamist groups are considering a Boycott of the upcoming constitutional referendum.  “We are heading toward a boycott campaign,” said Islam Tawfiq, a member of the Muslim Brotherhood. According to Tawfiq participating in the constitutional referendum, even with a vote of no, would be “an implicit recognition of the legitimacy” of the military-backed government’s road map for the country.

However, Some Islamists groups are planning to rally behind the new referendum. The ultraconservative political power, Salafist Al-Nour, which was the only Islamist political party to take part in the constitutional drafting process, is calling for a yes vote. The party has received harsh criticism from Morsi allies, some of whom claim the new conisation is anti-Islamic.

The adoption of the constitution is vital for the country’s current authorities as it could be interpreted as a sign of renewed popular support as voices of dissent have begun to rise even among secular, anti-Morsi forces.

Gamal Eid, head of the Arab Network for Human Rights Information, a group that is currently carrying out a study of the amended charter, said he will recommend a vote of “no” during the referendum. He said nearly 30 articles in the 247-article draft charter are too vague; giving Egyptian authorities greater room to supress freedom of association and information. He also said other amended articles give the military too much power, “making it a state above the state.”

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Egypt President Sets Date for Referendum – 14 December 2013

Al Arabiya – Egypt Referendum to Be Held Mid-January – 14 December 2013

ABC News – Egypt to Vote on Amended Constitution Mid-January – 13 December 2013

Al Jazeera – Clashes during Egypt Anti-Military Protests – 13 December 2013