Mursi May Delay Constitution Referendum, Ahram Online Says

Egyptian Vice President Mahmoud Mekki said President Mohamed Mursi is conditionally willing to delay the Dec. 15 referendum on a new constitution, according to the state-run Ahram Online website.

“The political forces who demand the delay of the referendum must provide guarantees that there will not be appeals” for further delays in the courts, according to a presidential statement announced by Mekki, the website reported.

After that announcement, the leader of the opposition National Salvation Front, Mohamed ElBaradei, called on Mursi to withdraw the constitutional declaration “tonight” and to postpone the referendum until national consensus is achieved.

To contact the reporter on this story: Terry Atlas in Washington at tatlas@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Terry Atlas at tatlas@bloomberg.net