Egypt constitution approved

Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Kandil said he expects talks with the International Monetary Fund over a £3 billion loan to resume in January.

"We hope that there will not be any fundamental changes in our plan with the IMF because we will summon them in January so we resume discussions to go forward in the matter of the loan," Kandil said today, reported Reuters.

Egypt's chief prosecutor has ordered an investigation into the leaders of the country's opposition after a lawyer accused them of incitement to overthrow the regime. The official said a judge will investigate the report filed last month accusing Mohammed ElBaradei.

The Nobel Prize laureate and former head of the U.N. nuclear agency, is accused along with Amr Moussa, former foreign minister and Hamdeen Sabahi, a former presidential candidate, of inciting the overthrow of Egypt's first elected president, Mohammed Morsi.

The accusations were filed by a lawyer during a political crisis over a series of presidential decrees that granted Morsi and the committee drafting the disputed constitution immunity from judicial oversight, in which he signed yesterday.

Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi has signed into law a new Islamist-drafted constitution he says will help end political turmoil and allow him to focus on fixing the fragile economy.

The presidency said Mursi signed a decree enforcing the charter late on Tuesday after the official announcement of the result of a referendum approving the basic law.

The text has sharpened painful divisions in the Arab world's most populous nation and prompted often violent protests on the streets of Cairo.

The United States on Tuesday urged all sides in Egypt to increase political engagement after Egyptian officials announced that voters had overwhelmingly approved a new constitution drafted by President Mohamed Mursi's Islamist allies.

Mr Ventrell noted that many Egyptians had voiced "significant concerns" over the constitutional process.

Egypt announced on Tuesday voters had overwhelmingly approved a controversial new constitution:

• Drafted by Islamist allies of President Mohamed Mursi
• Gives the President extra powers
• Mursi's leftist, liberal, secularist and Christian opponents took to streets to block move
• Opponents argue it would dangerously mix politics and religion

• President says new constitution offers protection for minorities, and will end political uncertainty that has wrecked economy.
• The 'yes' vote paves the way for a parliamentary election in about two months

• Cairo appeared calm after today's announcement and opposition groups have announced no plans for fresh demonstrations

Opponents of Egyptian President Mohamed Mursi refuted the authorities' claim that vote-rigging complaints had been "investigated" after voters approved a new constitution:

A member of Egypt's Supreme Election Committee said complaints about a vote on the country's new constitution have been investigated.

The Committee said 63.8 percent of voters approved the new constitution following two polls this month, which took place amid accusations of fraud.

"We have seriously investigated all the complaints," judge Samir Abu el-Matti of the Supreme Election Committee told a news conference.

The result matched an earlier unofficial tally given by Mohamed Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood party.

The final official turnout was 32.9 percent.

Egypt's new constitution, drafted by Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Mursi, has been approved by 63.8 percent of voters in a two-round referendum, the supreme election committee said on Tuesday.

Egypt's main opposition has said that voting in both rounds of a referendum on a controversial new constitution have been subject to fraud.

A senior official from the National Salvation Front, told Reuters: "They are ruling the country, running the vote and influencing the people, so what else could we expect".

Egyptians appear to have approved a new constitution after Saturday's final round of voting in a referendum, according to the Reuters news agency.

An official from the Muslim Brotherhood's political party, which backs the charter put forward by President Mohamed Morsi, said that after 8.1 million votes had been counted there was a 71 per cent majority in favour of the constitution.

Taken with the first round vote, the official said he expected the overall result to show a roughly 65 per cent majority in favour of the constitution. He spoke as counting progressed into the early hours of Sunday morning.