NAP Announces People`s Support of Referendum Act Before Official Report

Baku / 26.09.16 / Turan: The turnout at the referendum on September 26 to amend the Constitution of Azerbaijan amounted to 69.7 percent, or 3,671,007 people out of the 5,267,111 voters. This was announced at the press conference after the end of voting by the head of the CEC Information Center Secretariat, Farid Orujov.

Even before the announcement of the preliminary results, the Executive Secretary of the ruling party New Azerbaijan (NAP), Ali Ahmadov, hastened to declare that the people supported the amendments to the Constitution.

In his view, the referendum was also a demonstration of the nation's confidence to President Ilham Aliyev.

'The people once again trusted Mr. President. It was a nationwide test of confidence. And the test was quite successful,' said Ahmedov.

The questions put on the referendum were objectively aimed at further strengthening of the legal framework of the "successful policy pursued by the Azerbaijani President." These reforms, according to Ahmedov, will be held in the main economic area and let solve all social problems.

According to the "exit polls" conducted by the foreign bodies Opinion Way (France) and Arthur J. Finkelstein & Associates (USA), which were reportedly hired by the authorities themselves, and local pro-government NGOs, the turnout was 65-67 percent and 85-90 percent of them voted for the questions of the Referendum Act. -06D--