The People Approve of Egypt's New Constitution, It Seems

After two referendums, the Egyptian people have approved of the country's controversial new constitution, the one that led to mass protests in Tahrir Square, with a 63.8 percent margin, reports Reuters.

After two referendums, the Egyptian people have approved of the country's controversial new constitution, the one that led to mass protests in Tahrir Square, with a 63.8 percent margin, reports Reuters. That final tally, however, comes after lots of complaints about the legitimacy of the process, including charges of bribery and polling station abuses. And of course, the big gatherings of people saying they do not approve of the Islamist document. And anyway, only 32.9 percent of the population participated.

The Supreme Court Election Committee claims to "have seriously investigated all the complaints," judge Samir Abu el-Matti said at a news conference. And the number matches counts from the Muslim Brotherhood earlier this month.

In any case, the approval hasn't quieted opponents, of course. "It is going to pass, but it's really a sad day, in my view, for Egypt, because it is going to institutionalize instability," former presidential candidate Mohamed ElBaradei said on PBS NewsHour. And while the constitution got wide-spread approval among those who vote, the turnout numbers weren't big enough for Morsi to claim total acceptance of the Muslim Brotherhood, notes The Wall Street Journal's Matt Bradley. In fact, Morsi's party has seen a decline in turn out and approval since taking power.