YEREVAN. – If this referendum does not pass, the state will simply move forward at a slower pace.

President of the National Assembly of Armenia, Galust Sahakyan, on Wednesday told the above-said to reporters, as he commented on the forthcoming referendum on constitutional amendments.

Sahakyan, reflecting on the ongoing campaigning for and against these amendments, specifically said: “It was very good that the opposite sides were among the people together. (…) The important thing was that a political culture is being formed [in Armenia], and I consider it positive. (…) [As for the remarks that] the ‘no’ [to the amendments] will be a lot, there will be ‘no,’ this is not a matter of failure, not a matter of persons. It’s just passing from one model of governance to another. (…) Here we see a quite major chance in terms of reforms [in the country]. (…) [But] this is not a life-and-death struggle.”

The referendum on Armenia’s constitutional amendments will be conducted on Sunday.

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

The opponents of these amendments, however, consider them to be primarily the authorities’ attempt to hang on to power.