Egypt’s vice-president Mahmoud Mekki Cairo - Mohamed Mustafa, Akram Ali Egypt’s vice-president Mahmoud Mekki announced his shock resignation on Saturday evening, on the day the country went to the polls in the second phase of the constitutional referendum. In a press statement, Mekki said that he had submitted his official resignation notice on November 7, but the Israeli offensive on Gaza prevented the President from accepting it. He stressed that he decided to step down in the national interest. He met a number of political and revolutionary figures, with the values of rights, justice, freedom, and neutrality being of fundamental importance. He said there was a realisation that political work does not help with his career as a judge. He added that the recent crises meant he had to continue in his role to assist the authorities and issue another constitutional decree. He added that he contacted the political leaders to remove the political polarisation and avoid the state of tension that hit the country during the recent months. He added that he cooperated with the Egyptian President to review and draft plans based around the constitutional referendum. He also worked to defend the rights of citizens, adding that he exerted efforts to ensure full judicial supervision. Sources said that the reason behind the vice-president\'s resignation is that under the new constitution, his position would have been abolished. Mekki had no significant powers since he took the position, while the President gave him the authority to perform specific roles. He conducted two press conferences and struggled to answer questions from journalists.