Republic of Armenia: Referendum, 6 December 2015

At stake in this election:

• This referendum will determine if the constitution will be amended to change the country from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary republic.

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Serzh SARGSIAN (since 9 April 2008)
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Hovik ABRAHAMYAN (since 13 April 2014)
• Assembly: Armenia has a unicameral Azgayin Zhoghov (National Assembly) composed of 131 seats with members serving 5-year terms.

Electoral requirements:

• The referendum requires at least 33% of registered voter participation to be considered valid, and a simple majority vote to be passed.

Note: There is some discrepancy among sources regarding the minimum requirement to validate the referendum, with some sources claiming 33% and others claiming 25%. Regardless, voter turnour for the referendum was over 50%, making it valid. 

Main provisions in the referendum:

• The main provision in this referendum asks voters if they support the proposed amendments to the constitution, which will effectively change the government from a semi-presidential to parliamentary system. 

Population and number of registered voters:

·         Population: 3,056,382 (July 2015 est.)

·         Registered Voters: 2,567,047 (2015)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 1,579,089 (July 2015 est.)

·         Is Armenia a signatory to CEDAW: N/A

·         Has Armenia ratified CEDAW: Yes, accession (13 September 1993)

·         Gender Quota: Yes[1]

·         Female candidates in this election: N/A

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 14 (10.69%)

·         Human Development Index Position: 85

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High

Disability Data:

·         Is Armenia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Armenia ratified CRPD: Yes (22 September 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 458,457