UPDATE - Voting On New Constitution Underway In Kyrgyzstan

Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published April 11, 2021 | 10:20 AM

BISHKEK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2021) Voting in the nationwide referendum on the new constitution has started in Kyrgyzstan, a Central Election Commission (CEC) spokesperson told Sputnik on Sunday.

According to the spokesperson, all 2,435 polling stations opened at 08:00 a.m. local time on Sunday (02:00 GMT). They will close at 20:00.

According to the CEC, more than 17,000 people, including handicapped individuals and those being treated at hospitals, have voted early in the referendum.

A total of 183 international observers from 31 different countries have been accredited to monitor the nationwide referendum.

Monitors told Sputnik on Sunday morning that there have been no reports of violations during the referendum voting so far.

According to the CEC, 106 complaints were received ahead of the referendum, during the local election campaigns. Some violations were reported during early voting on Saturday.

The decision to hold the nationwide referendum was approved by the Kyrgyz parliament on March 11, with President Sadyr Japarov signing a decree to put it into force the next day.

Japarov cast his vote in the referendum on Sunday morning, in southern Bishkek. According to a Sputnik correspondent, the president came to the polling station with his wife, Aigul Japarova.

According to the draft of the country's new constitution published in early February, Kyrgyzstan will establish a new institute � People's Kurultai (council) � that will serve as an advisory body and provide recommendations on social development priorities. The initiative also envisages the reduction in the number of lawmakers from 120 to 90. The constitutional changes would also boost the power of the country's leader, thus changing the government system from the existing parliamentary-presidential to presidential form of government.

The reform of the governmental system was backed by over 80 percent of voters in a separate referendum held along with a snap presidential election, which brought Japarov to victory on January 10.