Prosecutor General Talaat Ibrahim Abdallah sent a letter to all of the prosecutions in Egypt saying that the Supreme Judicial Council has agreed to assign judges and prosecutors to oversee the referendum on the new constitution on 15 December, asking that anyone declining to participate should inform him within 72 hours as of Wednesday.

Abdel Rahman Bahloul, a member of the SJC, said no one can force a judge to participate in the supervision of the referendum, pointing out that the committee would not be in trouble if many judges declined.

Abdallah Fathy, first undersecretary of the Judges Club, said judges who are willing to supervise should be the ones who send letters. “Declination needs no letter,” he said.

Fathy pointed to the survey that was conducted by the Judges Club, which showed that 90 percent of judges would not supervise the referendum.

He added that the members of the Administrative Prosecution Club said they would not supervise the referendum, as well. “The only judicial body left is the State Lawsuit Authority,” he said. “And the members there are divided over the matter.”

He warned of replacing the judges with other government employees. “Our demands are to cancel the constitutional declaration and all its subsequent resolutions and effects,” he said.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm