CAIRO, Jan. 16 -- Over 90 percent of Egyptians approved the country's new draft constitution in a referendum, the official MENA news agency reported Thursday, citing preliminary results.

Vote counting was underway to reach the final results supposed to be submitted to the High Election Commission (HEC), MENA said.

The constitution will be approved by winning at least over 50 percent of the vote, and the result of the referendum is scheduled to be announced within 72 hours.

A two-day voting process on the new constitution ended Wednesday. The new charter, which is to replace the previous one mainly drafted by former president Mohamed Morsi's Islamist allies in late 2012, represents a prior stage in the country's future roadmap.