YEREVAN. – According to preliminary data, a total of 1,296,368 people, or 50.51 percent of the total number of voters, have cast their ballots in Sunday’sreferendum on constitutional amendments in Armenia.

Chairman of the Central Electoral Commission (CEC), Tigran Mukuchyan, stated the aforesaid at 9pm.

The voter turnout was 388,506 people, or 45.93 percent, in capital city Yerevan.

In order for the referendum to be considered valid, the voter turnout needed to be more than half of the total number of voters.

Eighteen local and four international organizations have observed the referendum. In addition, there were 33 observers from foreign CEC as well as seven observers from foreign embassies in Armenia.  

The referendum on Armenia’s constitutional amendments was conducted on Sunday.

Following the independence of Armenia in 1991, the Constitution was adopted on July 5, 1995, which is marked as Constitution Day.

The Constitution was amended in 2005, and the country switched from a presidential to a semi-presidential system of governance.

And pursuant to the currently proposed amendments, the country will make a transition from a semi-presidential to a parliamentary system of governance, and conduct completely proportional parliamentary elections.