Armenian central electoral commission unveils corrected preliminary results of constitutional referendum
According to the commission, 825,851 citizens have voted for the constitutional reform proposed by the ruling Republican Party of Armenia and 421,600 have voted against it.
The commission says 1,303,466 people have voted in the referendum, including 189,230 who went to the poll with ID cards.
Some 1,330,954 ballots remained unused and 53,322 ballots were found invalid.
The number of people eligible to vote is 2,567,047, and the number of ballots given to voters was 2,640,000.
The amendments imply transition from the current half-presidential rule to the parliamentary model. They increase the presidential term from five years to seven. The president will be elected not by the nation, but by the parliament.
The amendments restrict the president’s powers. One person can be elected the president only once.
In accordance with the amendments, the head of state will be elected by a three quarters majority in the first round. If he fails to be elected in the first round, then votes of three fifth of MPs will be needed. If the second round produces no results, the president will be elected by a simple majority of votes.
The document declares the government the supreme executive institution that works out and implements domestic and foreign policies. It is also in charge of state administration.
The new Constitution obliges the president to appoint to the prime-ministerial post a person from the party or party bloc that won the parliamentary elections. --0----