Egypt vice-president resigns on final day of referendum

Egypt vice-president resigns on final day of referendum

The referendum is widely expected to approve the draft constitution

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Egypt changing

• Political pulse
• No easy way out
• Q&A: Crisis explained
• Who holds power?

Egypt's vice-president has announced his resignation, on the day the country completed its voting in a controversial referendum on a draft constitution.

Mahmoud Mekki, a former judge who was appointed vice-president in August, said the "nature of politics" did not suit his professional background.

Polls have now closed in the second leg of the referendum, which is widely expected to approve the draft.

However, opponents say this will not end the country's unrest.

They say the constitution favours Islamists and betrays the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak last year.

President Mohammed Morsi and his supporters say the document will secure democracy.

Late on Saturday, state television announced that the central bank governor, Farouq al-Uqdah, had also resigned from his post. However, a cabinet official later denied the report.

November decree

Mr Mekki announced his resignation just hours before the end of voting in the second round of the referendum.

He said, in a statement read on television: "I realised a while ago that the nature of politics does not suit my professional background as a judge."

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Mr Mekki, 58, said he had tried to resign on 7 November but that circumstances had forced him to remain.

The Israeli conflict in Gaza and President Morsi's controversial decree on 22 November granting himself sweeping new powers delayed his decision.

Mr Mekki's resignation statement indicated he had no prior knowledge of the decree, which stripped the judiciary of powers to question the president's decisions.

The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil in Cairo says Mr Mekki appeared to be giving the impression that he was unhappy with not being consulted on key decisions.

If, as expected, the draft constitution is passed, there may have been no role for Mr Mekki, our correspondent says, as the document does not require the president to appoint a vice-president.

Seven of Mr Morsi's leading advisers have resigned over the past month, many indicating they had not been consulted over the president's moves.

After an outcry, the president revoked much of the 22 November decree, but he refused to back down on the draft constitution.

The text was rushed through by a constituent assembly dominated by Islamists and boycotted by liberal and left-wing members, and facing a threat of dissolution by the country's top court.

Egypt has seen mass demonstrations on both sides ever since.

However, voting in the second stage of the referendum appears to have gone relatively smoothly.

Some 250,000 security personnel were deployed nationwide to keep order.

Polling stations had been scheduled to close at 19:00 (17:00 GMT) but remained open until 23:00. Voting was also extended in the first leg.

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Ballots were cast in the 17 provinces that did not vote in the first round on 15 December.

Unofficial results are expected to come in over the next few hours.

Turnout was reported to be just above 30% in the first round, with unofficial counts suggesting some 56% of those who cast ballots voted in favour of the draft.

Official results are not expected until Monday, after appeals are heard. If the constitution passes, parliamentary elections must take place within three months.

Analysts suggest the document will be passed.

Egyptians casting votes in favour of the charter said they were voting for stability.

In the town of Fayoum, "yes" voter Hanaa Zaki told the Associated Press news agency: "I have a son who hasn't got paid for the past six months. We have been in this crisis for so long and we are fed up."

Opponents of the draft say it fails to protect the freedoms and human rights they sought in the uprising that toppled Mr Mubarak. Some have also complained about the role given to Islamic clerics and what they say is a lack of a clear commitment to equality between men and women.

"I'm voting 'no' because Egypt can't be ruled by one faction," Karim Nahas, a 35-year-old stock market broker voting early on Saturday in Giza, told Reuters news agency.

Opposition activists say there will be more unrest whatever the outcome.

One voter in Ikhsas village, Marianna Abdel-Messieh, agreed. "Whether this constitution passes or not, there will be trouble," she told AP. "God have mercy on us."

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Egypt holds second stage of vote on draft constitution

Egyptians are voting in a second stage of a constitutional referendum that has sparked weeks of unrest.

Opponents of President Mohammed Morsi have held protests against the draft, saying it favours the Islamists now in power and betrays the revolution that overthrew Hosni Mubarak last year.

Mr Morsi's supporters say the constitution will secure democracy.

Some 250,000 security personnel have been deployed nationwide to try to keep order during the referendum.

Tension over the document has helped to fuel weeks of violence, including clashes in Alexandria on Friday.

Turnout was reported to be just above 30% in the first round, with unofficial counts suggesting some 56% of those who cast ballots voted in favour of the draft.

Official results are not expected until Monday, after appeals are heard. If the constitution passes, parliamentary elections must take place within three months.

'More unrest'

Ballots are being cast in the 17 provinces which did not vote in a first round on 15 December.

The areas are seen as more conservative and sympathetic to Mr Morsi's Islamist movement, the Muslim Brotherhood.

Analysts suggest this will favour a "Yes" vote.

"I'm voting 'No' because Egypt can't be ruled by one faction," Karim Nahas, a 35-year-old stock market broker voting early on Saturday in Giza, told Reuters news agency.

Egyptians casting votes in favour of the charter said they were voting for stability.

Opponents of the draft say it fails to protect the freedoms and human rights that they sought in the uprising that toppled Mr Mubarak. Some have also complained about the role given to Islamic clerics and what they say is a lack of a clear commitment to equality between men and women.

The campaign group Human Rights Watch has said the draft provides for basic protections against arbitrary detention and torture, but fails to end military trials of civilians or to protect freedom of expression and religion.

Ahead of the second round, opposition politicians said they thought further violence was likely.

"I see more unrest," said Ahmed Said, head of the liberal Free Egyptians Party and a member of the opposition coalition.

He said there had been "serious violations" on the first day of voting and that anger towards the president was growing.

Opposition figurehead Mohammed ElBaradei has urged people to vote against the charter.

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"We know that if this constitution is passed, there will be no stability," he said late on Thursday.

Egypt's latest crisis began on 22 November, when Mr Morsi issued a decree granting himself broad powers.

The decree stripped the judiciary of any power to challenge his decisions.

After an outcry, the president revoked much of the decree, but he refused to back down on the draft constitution.

The text was rushed through by a constituent assembly dominated by Islamists and boycotted by liberal and left-wing members, as it faced a threat of dissolution by the country's top court.

Egypt has seen mass demonstrations on both sides ever since.

On Friday, Islamists clashed with secular rivals in Alexandria, hurling stones at each other outside a mosque.

Police formed lines and fired tear gas to keep the two groups apart.

At least 32 people were injured, the health ministry said.

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Obama calls for US gun control proposals by January

US President Barack Obama has called for "concrete proposals" on gun control by the end of January, saying "words need to lead to action".

President Obama on why he has asked Joe Biden to lead the response

In remarks at the White House, Mr Obama said Vice-President Joe Biden would lead an exploration of options after a mass school shooting in Connecticut.

There have been calls for gun law reform after 26 children and teachers died at Sandy Hook School in Newtown.

The president said a "majority of Americans" back changes to some laws.

Those include the renewal of an assault weapons ban, limits on high-capacity ammunition magazines and an end to loopholes allowing gun purchases with no background checks, Mr Obama said.

He urged Congress to hold votes on those issues when it reconvenes in the new year.

"If there is even one thing that we can do to prevent anyone of these events, we have a deep obligation - all of us - to try," he said.

"The fact that we can't prevent every act of violence doesn't mean we can't steadily reduce the violence."

NRA response

The assault weapons ban lapsed under President George W Bush in 2004.

Mr Obama has previously stated his support for a reintroduction without backing a specific move to do so before now.

Mr Biden has decades of experience as a senator and analysts say that experience could be essential to getting any changes through Congress, which has been lobbied extensively on the issue by the National Rifle Association (NRA).

The vice-president's team will include members of the Obama administration as well as representatives of outside groups.

Mr Obama told reporters he would push for the proposals recommended by the Biden-led task force "without delay", after the January deadline.

In its first statement since the shootings, the NRA said it was "heartbroken" by the attack.

The gun lobby group said it was "shocked, saddened and heartbroken by the news of the horrific and senseless murders in Newtown.

"The NRA is prepared to offer meaningful contributions to help make sure this never happens again," the statement said, announcing a "major news conference" to be held on Friday.

There is no indication whether the NRA will join the Biden-led process.

Gun sales, including those of assault rifles, have risen since Friday, a sign that enthusiasts fear that new legislation is coming, the BBC's Paul Adams in Washington reports.

At the same time, share prices of several gun manufacturers have fallen and a private equity firm has sold its stake in the company that makes the assault rifle used at Newtown.

Changes

Some anti-gun control congressmen and senators have indicated they are prepared to consider changes to the current legislation.

The Democratic Senator for West Virginia, Joe Manchin, said on Monday that it was time to "move beyond rhetoric".

Mr Manchin, a gun owner and frequent hunter, said: "I don't know anyone in the sporting or hunting arena that goes out with an assault rifle."

Another Democrat, Senator Mark Warner, said that the "status quo isn't acceptable" and called for "rational gun control".

Mr Warner said he had been approached repeatedly over the weekend as people began to seek answers and solutions.

But multiple House Republicans, who hold majority in the House of Representatives, told US broadcaster NPR on Tuesday that action on gun legislation was premature and that they were focused on the tragedy.

"I think to say that we need new gun laws in premature," Representative Louie Gohmert of Texas said. "As a former judge, it just seems the appropriate thing to do is gather all of the evidence before we come up with a verdict."

California Senator Dianne Feinstein, a well-known supporter of gun control, said on Sunday she would introduce assault weapons ban legislation when the new Congress met for the first time in January.

The White House says that Mr Obama also supports other proposed gun legislation, including restricting the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips and closing a loophole that allows gun purchases at gun shows without a background check.

School stays shut

Plans for pupils at Sandy Hook School to resume classes on Wednesday at another school have been dropped.

The Newtown Superintendent of Schools, Janet Robinson, said classes would now recommence on 2 January at Chalk Hill School in the nearby town of Monroe.

Some gun shops in the US have seen a rise in sales as people try to beat any new

"The teachers weren't ready, the building wasn't ready", Mrs Robinson said. "So we just abandoned that idea. That plan was too ambitious."

Mrs Robinson said pupils and parents would be invited to visit the new facility later this week.

The rest of Newtown's students returned to classes on Tuesday, as grief counsellors and police were posted to schools.

Funerals are to be held for more victims of the shooting, including teacher Victoria Soto and three students: Daniel Barden, seven, Caroline Previdi, six, and Charlotte Bacon, six.

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Newtown school massacre victims identified

All 20 children who died in a shooting at a school in Connecticut were aged between six and seven, according to an official list of the dead.

The state's chief medical examiner said the gunman used a rifle as his main weapon, and all the victims appeared to have been shot several times.

The gunman, named in media reports as Adam Lanza, killed his mother before driving to the school and opening fire.

Six adults, all women, were also killed before the gunman shot himself dead.

The head teacher at Sandy Hook school in Newtown, Dawn Hochsprung, is listed among the dead, along with adults Rachel DaVino, Anne Marie Murphy, Lauren Russo, Mary Sherlach and Victoria Soto.

The youngest child to be killed was Noah Pozner, who celebrated his sixth birthday only last month.

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School shooting victims

• Charlotte Bacon, 6
• Daniel Barden, 7
• Rachel Davino, 29
• Olivia Engel, 6
• Josephine Gay, 7
• Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
• Dawn Hochsprung, 47
• Dylan Hockley, 6
• Madeleine Hsu, 6
• Catherine Hubbard, 6
• Chase Kowalski, 7
• Jesse Lewis, 6
• James Mattioli, 6
• Grace McDonnell, 7
• Anne Marie Murphy, 52
• Emilie Parker, 6
• Jack Pinto, 6
• Noah Pozner, 6
• Caroline Previdi, 6
• Jessica Rekos, 6
• Avielle Richman, 6
• Lauren Russo, 30
• Mary Sherlach, 56
• Victoria Soto,27
• Benjamin Wheeler, 6
• Allison Wyatt, 6

• Who the victims were

Most of the children who died on Friday were girls and nearly all were aged six.

A woman who worked at the school was the only person to be shot and survive.

Obama to visit

Earlier on Saturday, Lt Paul Vance of Connecticut state police said the gunman had forced his way into the school, and had not been let in "voluntarily".

He said investigators had gathered "good evidence" in the search for a motive, without elaborating.

President Barack Obama is to visit Newtown on Sunday to meet families and speak at a vigil.

After the attack, he urged "meaningful action" against gun crime in the US.

"As a country we have been through this too many times," he said in an emotional White House address.

The gunman killed his mother at the home they shared before driving to the school in her car and opening fire. Reports say the guns used in the attacks were registered to her.

There are conflicting reports about whether she had worked at the school in the past.

Connecticut Chief Medical Examiner H Wayne Carver said the gunman shot all the victims at the school with a semiautomatic rifle, at least some of them from close range.

Asked how many shots were fired, he replied: "I'm lucky if I can tell you how many I found."

Initial reports suggested that the killer had used two handguns which he also had with him.

The suspected gunman's father, Peter Lanza, said his family was "struggling to make sense of what has transpired".

Emilie Parker told her father she loved him as he left for work, he says

"Our family is grieving along with all those who have been affected by this enormous tragedy," he said in a statement.

Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy made a television address saying the children were "taken from their families far too soon".

"What's important right now is love, courage and compassion," he said.

'Absolutely quiet'

Friday's killings took place in two rooms within a single section of the school, police have said. The shooting lasted just a few minutes.

As they heard the shots, teachers in other parts of the building tried to protect children by locking doors and ushering them into closets.

"I told them we had to be absolutely quiet, because I was just so afraid if he did come in, then he would hear us and just start shooting the door," said teacher Kaitlin Roig.

"I said to them, 'I need you to know that I love you all very much and that it's going to be okay', because I thought that was the last thing they were ever going to hear."

Teacher Kaitlin Roig: 'I told them (the children) we had to be absolutely quiet... until the good guys come'

Library clerk Maryann Jacob described telling 18 children to crawl into a storage room, before barricading the door with a filing cabinet. "We set them up with paper and crayons," she said.

Dr Jeannie Pasacreta, a nurse practitioner and psychologist who has been advising parents on how to talk to their children, says neighbours have been cancelling Christmas parties and taking down decorations.

Early reports named 24-year-old Ryan Lanza, of Hoboken, New Jersey, as the gunman, but unnamed officials later said his brother Adam was the suspect.

Ryan Lanza was questioned by police, US media reported, but has not been named as a suspect.

In a separate development, police in Oklahoma have arrested a teenager for allegedly plotting to shoot and bomb students at his school in Bartlesville. Sammie Eaglebear Chavez, 18, is said to have tried to convince other students to help him carry out an attack.

The attack at Newtown is the second deadliest shooting attack at a US school or university.

In 2007, a student at Virginia Tech university killed 32 people and injured many more.

SOURCE : BBC News

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