Azernews.Az

By Amina Nazarli

The September 26 referendum held in Azerbaijan is valid, while the Referendum Act on amendments to the country’s Constitution is considered as adopted.

Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission announced about it during its meeting held on October 11 to announce the results of the referendum. The CEC also approved its protocol on the nationwide vote.

The CEC decision reads that the Referendum Act must be considered as adopted, since more than half of voters, who participated in the referendum, cast their ballots in favor of each of the 29 items in the draft Referendum Act.

Under the decision, the referendum’s results will be announced and the text of the adopted Referendum Act will be published and will come into force from the date of its publication.

The proposed changes envisaged the extension of the presidential term from five to seven years, the establishment of the first vice-president and vice-president positions in the country as well as the cancellation of minimum age limit for presidential candidates, dissolution of parliament by the president.

CEC Chairman Mazahir Panahov, addressing the meeting, stated that the referendum was organized at the proper level.

“Each Azerbaijani family was informed about the changes through distributed brochures and they had an opportunity to review the Referendum Act. Today Azerbaijani voter is well aware of his/her rights,” said Panahov.

The CEC chairman noted that, for the first time, media reported no violations. “Overall, the referendum recorded no violations of the law,” he noted.

However, the results of voting at three polling stations were declared invalid following the investigation.

CEC Secretary Arif Mukhtarov, in turn, informed that in one polling station the results were declared partially invalid.

The results of the referendum in polling stations No14 of the 11th Garadag, No 12 of the 10th Garadag-Yasamal-Binagadi and No 68 of the 2nd Jalilabad have been canceled completely, while the results of the No 64 of 35th Sabirabad polling station have been cancelled partially.

Moreover, the electoral commissions of six polling stations were dismissed for shortcomings committed during the referendum.

The voter turnout throughout the country stood at 69.7 percent or 3,671,707 people.

Roughly 117 international observers – MPs from around 35 countries as well as observers from various international organizations, including the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) – had been accredited by Azerbaijan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) to observe the referendum.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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