Head of committee overseeing Egypt constitution referendum resigns

The general secretary of the committee that will oversee the 15 December constitution referendum steps down following Wednesday’s clashes Zaghloul El-Balshi, the general secretary of the constitution referendum supreme committee, resigned on Wednesday less than two days after he was appointed by President Mohamed Morsi following the clashes that erupted between supporters and opponents of Morsi. “I will not participate in a referendum that spilled Egyptian blood,” El-Balshi said in a television interview in the late hours of Wednesday evening. An afternoon attack by Morsi supporters against anti-Morsi protesters, who began a sit-in in front of the presidential palace on Tuesday, has sparked clashes that left more than 126 injured. Protesters want Morsi to revoke a controversial decree that shields his decision from judicial review. They also demand that he cancels the referendum on a new-draft constitution, slated for 15 December. “I call on Morsi to cancel the constitutional declaration immediately,” El-Balshi added.