President or parliament?

8 p.m. / December 7

Armenian CEC has announced preliminary results of the constitutional referendum. 825 622 people voted ‘for’ introduction of the amendments to the Constitution, 421 593 people voted ‘against’. This means that Armenia has voted for a shift from the semi-presidential to the parliamentary form of ruling.

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8 p.m. / December 6

The ballot has finished. The precincts are starting tabulation of votes

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7 p. m. / December 6

Armenian media reports about violations during the ballot

During the whole ballot process, Armenia’s online resources have been actively communicating information from the polling stations. Here is the list of what their correspondents reported:

1. Residents, registered at different addresses, have been revealed in the voter lists of a specific precinct

2. The precinct commission chairman has not allowed a reporter to take shots

3. The ‘voter bribes’ have been distributed

4. The local government officials have been trying to influence the precinct commission members

5. Proxies have been persuading the commission members to allow a voter cast the vote for other individuals, whose’ passports the citizen has brought along with him

6. The observers have take the liberty to talk and make unsuitable statements

7. The commission chairman has impeded the observers’ work

8. There have been violation of the secrecy of ballot

9. The vehicles (for instance, taxis of a particular company) have delivered voters to the polling stations

10. Voting papers have been illegally cast into the ballot boxes

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5p.m. / December 6

According to the CEC data, 1 million 5 thousand 333 people participated in voting as of 5 p.m.; that is 39,17 % of the total number of electorate.

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According to the police data, the number of voters makes 2 million 550 thousand 323 people. If the majority of the electorate votes for the constitutional changes in Armenia, the current semi-presidential form of governance will be replaced by the parliamentary one.

3006 observers, representing 18 local organizations and 123 international observers will monitor its course.

The voting process at 1997 precincts started at 8 a.m. and will finish at 8 p.m. Armenian CEC will provide data on the voting process every three hours. JAMnews reporters will also closely observe the situation.

JAMnews correspondent reports on the course of referendum at precinct #37/27, in Alidzor village, Syunik province:

‘The number of electorate at this precinct totals 442 people. Voters say, they have no information about the changes that can be possibly introduced to the Constitution following the referendum. In their words, they ‘simply have come to cast their vote.’

Information from the social networks

The reporters have just released a video footage, showing ilur.am reporter’s photo camera being broken. The incident occurred at precinct 10/20 (Yerevan school # 114). Police have escorted to the police station the RPA authorized representative, who committed an act of violence against the journalist.

In Shirak region elections are held parallel to referendum

JAMnews correspondent reports: ‘In parallel to the referendum on constitutional changes, the local government elections are conducted in 10 communities of Shirak region. Community heads are being elected in 7 villages (Geghanist, Garnarich, Shirak, Pemzashen, Basen, Tufashen and Vahramaberd); whereas the rural council elections are held in two more villages – (Anushavan and Arevik). Village headman and rural council elections are also underway in one more village (Nahapetavan). Thus, if in the first 9 communities the Commission will work at double load, after the elections in Nahapetavan, the ballots from three ballot boxes will be counted.

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Find here and here the detailed analysis regarding this issue ahead of the referendum.