CAIRO – Egypt's latest political crisis over a disputed constitution is posing a difficult test for the mostly secular opposition: Can it maintain its new-found unity and achieve anything beyond bringing large crowds out into the streets to protest?

Faced with a series of ever larger and more violent protests, Islamist President Mohammed Morsi has suffered damage to his credentials as a leader of all Egyptians. Six people were killed and nearly 700 wounded on Wednesday during pitched battles between his supporters and opponents.

Still, Egypt's first freely elected president is poised for another win at the ballot box — this time in a Dec. 15 referendum on the disputed constitution drafted by his allies.