As Egyptians begin voting on a referendum for a constitutional amendment, opposition parties are calling the polls a farce.

The referendum on Wednesday asks voters to decide whether a government proposal to allow multi-party presidential elections should be incorporated into the constitution. Official results are expected on Thursday afternoon.

"Egypt - stay at home," cried the headline of the al-Wafd daily, mouthpiece of the al-Wafd opposition party. It called the referendum a defeat for democracy and a cause for mourning.

Hisham Kasim, vice-president of the opposition al-Ghad party and editor-in-chief of the party newspaper Nahdet Masr, said he had always voted against President Hosni Mubarak in previous referendums but on Wednesday would boycott the vote.

Late on Tuesday evening and early on Wednesday morning, volunteers of the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) could be seen erecting banners proclaiming unwavering allegiance to Mubarak, who has led the country since 1981.

Passers-by watching the banners go up on Faisal Street, a kilometre from the Pyramids, shrugged and walked on.

"What voting?" asked Ahmed Ali, 37, a building concierge and father of seven.

Ali laughed as he told Aljazeera.net he would not be voting and didn’t care to know the results. "Nothing will change," he said.

Political gambit

In part, the amendment states a presidential candidate must be a member of an official political party or, if running as an independent, get a minimum of 65 recommendations from elected members of the lower house, 25 from the Shura Council and 10 from local councils from at least 14 governorates.

Some political figures think such an amendment is self-defeating, restricting the efficacy of opposition parties. A referendum on the amendment, they say, is a political gambit.

But independent political commentator Khairy Ramadan thinks a boycott by the centre-liberal al-Wafd, Tagamu, Nasserist and al-Ghad (Tomorrow) parties will ultimately hurt Egyptians’ interests.

"I am against the boycott because it will not reveal to us the opinion of the people," he told Aljazeera.net

"A boycott will show the political immaturity of the Egyptian population." Ahmed Mousa, deputy editor-in-chief of the pro-government national newspaper Al-Ahram, chided the al-Wafd party for what he called incitement against the state.

"This is a grave call and will negatively influence the political atmosphere in Egypt," he said.

Indifference

Although government-run unions and the public sector have promised Egyptians will cast their vote en masse, the mood on the street is indifferent.

"We can't win – the Egyptian people can't win," said a 39-year-old surgeon who said he would not vote on the referendum.

"No one can take power from Mubarak, and these opposition parties are a joke."

He says he has lost hope in the political process and most of his friends are apathetic about reform.

Samir Ahmad, a manager at a private-sector factory, says Egypt is like all the other Arab countries.

"Look around you - all Arab leaders are never voted out of power. Either they die or are overthrown."

Security forces deploy

Egyptian security forces on Wednesday were taking precautions to ensure the voting goes smoothly. By dawn, several armoured trucks could be seen deploying throughout Cairo. Demonstrations by all parties - government and opposition - were prohibited on Wednesday. In the central Tahrir area of Cairo – less than a few hundred metres from the People's Assembly – riot police carrying rifles were deploying.

"The country is going to be upside down in a few hours," said Fadi Mahmoud as he left a mosque shortly after dawn prayers in the posh district of Dokki.

He said he was worried there may be a massive demonstration by anti-government groups.

But demonstrations notwithstanding, the government is upbeat. Late on Tuesday evening, Mubarak addressed the nation, saying: "The new amendment to the constitution is a categorical move on the road of political reforms."

"Look, this is historic," Mousa said. "This is the first time we are talking about multi-candidate presidential elections … it has never happened in Egypt's modern history.

"The citizens know their interests. They will show up at the polling stations in great numbers."

PHOTO CAPTION

President Hosni Mubarak voting in Cairo, May 25, 2005, in the country's referendum. (REUTERS)