Bomb explodes as Egyptians head to polls

A bomb exploded near a Cairo courtroom on Tuesday as Egyptians were to head to the polls to vote on a new constitution after three years of political turmoil. Officials however said no injuries were reported.

Egyptians are expected to head to polls on Tuesday and Wednesday to vote on a new constitution which would ban religious parties and see more power given to the military.

The country’s political turmoil saw the departure of two presidents and marked hundreds of deaths.

Its first democratically elected president, Mohamed Morsy of the Muslim Brotherhood, was deposed by the military in July, 2013 and was replaced by an interim, military-backed government.

Morsy was viewed as a tyrant who tried to impose conservative values on the people by his opponents, but Morsy's supporters say that the military has returned to the authoritarian practices of longtime ruler Hosni Mubarak, who was deposed in a popular uprising in 2011.

Hundreds died in clashes between Egyptian security forces and Morsy supporters in the weeks which followed his ouster. Morsy has been in detention since July and faces trial on charges of inciting the murders of at least three protesters outside the presidential palace in late 2012.The protests were over a constitution that Morsy shepherded into effect.