Egyptian expats start voting in referendum on constitution

Egyptians abroad started Wednesday morning casting their ballots in the referendum on the controversial draft constitution. About 589,000 Egyptians are scheduled to go to Egyptian embassies and consulates to vote in the plebiscite which is scheduled to end on Saturday. The Foreign Ministry has finalized preparations for the referendum which was delayed from December 8 to December 12. Egyptian expatriates whose names were registered in the data base of the higher electoral commission during the last presidential elections are to vote in the referendum. On Tuesday, President Mohamed Morsi annulled a decision allowing voters to cast their ballots outside their constituencies. Egypt has been gripped by mass demonstrations by supporters and opposers of the referendum on the new draft constitution and the constitutional declaration