ArmInfo. The Constitutional referendum showed that Artsakh people has an option to decide own future, Alisia kankin, the Chairman of Observers' Mission from Bolivia.
" We came to Nagorno Karabakh following the instructions of our President. We have visited different voting sites, and watched the refenedum flow. Everything was very tranquil, and it is obvious that people do have an option to express their will free - this is an important moment of democratic principles, which is followed here strictly," the observer form Bolivia mentioned. At the same time she stated that Artsakh people will choose its new way of political development after the referendum.
In his turn, the other observer from Bolivia, Nelly Nansen, stated that the option of people's participation in electoral procedures is exactly the essence of democracy. "This referendum showed in the best way the observance of rights and freedoms in this country."
According to the preliminary data of the NKR Central Electoral Commission, as many as 69,540 (87.6%) citizens voted for the adoption of the new Constitution in Karabakh. 7,686 citizens (9.7%) voted against the new Constitution. 2,202 ballots (2.8%) were declared invalid. The turnout made up 79,425 out of the 03,793 NKR citizens having the right to vote. As many as 104 foreign observers from 30 countries, as well as 103 local observers monitored the referendum. Over 80 journalists covered the referendum. The concept of the NKR constitutional reforms was presented in August 2016. Following public and political debates, the NKR Parliament took a decision on Jan 17, 2017 to hold a referendum. The decision was taken with 20 pros, 7 cons and 1 abstention. Under the current constitution, the NKR is a semi- presidential republic. Dashnaktsutyun and Revival factions voted against the document, Movement-88 faction abstained from voting, while Free Motherland and Democracy factions voted for the document. Under the current constitution, the NKR is a semi-presidential republic. The new draft constitution implies transition to a presidential form of government with wide powers of the Parliament.