Parliamentary elections kick off in Armenia

More than 2.5 million Armenians are expected to go to the 2,000 polling stations nationwide on Sunday to elect a new parliament that will have greater power after the constitutional amendments take effect in April 2018.

The voting started at 8 a.m. (0400 GMT) and will continue until 8 p.m. (1600 GMT). Preliminary results are expected on Monday morning.

The election is the first following the adoption of constitutional amendments in December 2015 that have put the former Soviet nation in the course of shifting from a semi-presidential system to a parliamentary one with the prime minister holding the executive power. The role of the president will be largely ceremonial under the new constitution.

In the run-up to the election, polls showed the ruling Republican Party led by President Serzh Sargsyan and Tsarukyan Alliance led by Armenian millionaire Gagik Tsarukyan took the lead in the race.

A total of five parties and four coalitions of parties took part in the election.

Under the new electoral law, if no party or coalition of parties manages to secure 54 percent of the vote, the minimum required for forming "a stable majority," a runoff will be held between the two front-runners 21 days after the first round of election. Endi