Irish-Egyptian community give their views on elections

Earlier this week as Egyptians took part in the first election of the post-Morsi era, members of the Irish-Egyptian community gathered outside the embassy in Dublin to protest against the amended constitution.

"The whole environment in which this referendum is taking place is not conducive to a good future for Egypt, " said Ihab Hassan, a Dublin-based teacher who has been living in Ireland for 13 years. He took part in the protest because he says he cannot see a future for his country under the current military administration. "I'd like a transparent democracy for all the Egyptian people where we can build a good future for our children. I'm not in favour of military rule."

New constitution
Egyptian state media reported that more than 97 per cent of voters opted for the newly amended constitution. The draft constitution will replace the 2012 Muslim Brotherhood charter while acting as an endorsement of the military removal of former president Mohamed Morsi last July.

Mohammed Al Fatih el Sayed, a student at the Dublin Institute of Technology, doesn’t believe the results are a true reflection of what the Egyptian people want.

“What I want to know is how many people actually went to vote in that election. What’s the percentage,” he said.

Mr Sayed, who is involved in an Irish anti-coup student society, helped to organise the protest in Dublin earlier this week. “Some of my family have been injured in the violence. One of my best friends was shot dead last summer,” he said.

In Dublin, he joined his fellow students in boycotting the vote, saying that by voting people are showing their support for the current administration under Gen Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.

Mr Hassan, who joined in the protest, said Mr Morsi wasn’t given a chance to prove himself to the Egyptian people.

“When Sisi decided to oust the president he caused more division within society. He hasn’t done the Egyptians any favours,” he said.

'Unbelievable'
Dr Adel el Sayed and his wife Asmaa el Sayed have been living in Drogheda for 20 years. "It's unbelievable, I've lived through the time of [former president Hosni] Mubarak. I've lived through the time of Morsi, and now I'm living hour by hour with what's going on in Egypt," he said. "We don't consider this a real constitution. It is under a military coup. They talk about freedom and human rights but there is no international monitoring."

Ms el Sayed agrees with her husband. “The media treat people like they are ignorant but things are more open now. The new generation will not accept having no freedom.”

Mr Hassan is hopeful that the situation may still turn around. “The third anniversary of the 2011 revolution is only a few days away,” he said. “Maybe that will finally change things.”