Egypt faces divisive choice over political future

Egyptians decide on Saturday on a constitution promoted by its Islamist backers as the way out of a prolonged political crisis and rejected by opponents as a recipe for further divisions in the Arab world's biggest nation, Hurriyet Daily News reports.

Voting begins in a referendum on a divisive draft basic law that has pitted Islamist supporters of President Mohamed Mursi against a liberal, secular and Christian opposition in often bloody clashes in Cairo and other cities.

The opposition says the constitution is too Islamist and tramples on minority rights. Mursi's supporters say the charter is needed if progress is to be made towards democracy nearly two years after the fall of military strongman Hosni Mubarak.In Alexandria on Friday, tensions boiled over into a street brawl between rival factions armed with clubs, knives and swords.