Egypt's opposition will appeal against result of referendum on constitution
National Salvation Front says violations and polling fraud skewed the result
Egypt's opposition said yesterday it will appeal against the result of a referendum, in which voters approved a new constitution backed by ruling Islamists but for which the turnout was low.
The opposition vowed to keep up a struggle that has spawned weeks of protests and damaging instability.
Polling "fraud and violations" skewed the results of the two-stage referendum, the final leg of which was held on Saturday, the National Salvation Front said.
"We are asking the [electoral] commission to investigate the irregularities before announcing official results," scheduled for today, a Front member, Amr Hamzawy, told a Cairo news conference.
Another member, Abdel Ghaffer Shokr said: "The referendum is not the end of the road. It is only one battle. We will continue the fight for the Egyptian people."
State media and President Mohammed Mursi's supporters in the Muslim Brotherhood said the constitution was passed with nearly two-thirds support, based on unofficial tallies.
According to the Brotherhood tally based on results from individual polling stations and voting abroad, 64 per cent of the 16.6 million voters who cast ballots approved the constitution.