BAKU, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Azerbaijanis went to the polls Monday morning in a referendum on constitutional amendments.
In the referendum, lasting from 8 a.m. (0400 GMT) to 7 p.m. (1500 GMT), more than 5 million eligible Azerbaijanis vote to decide the fate of several constitutional amendments.
Voter turnout had reached 30.6 percent by noon (0800 GMT), according to the Central Electoral Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
About 53,000 observers from more than 100 international observers have been accredited to monitor the vote.
The draft amendments were proposed by Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev, who has been in office since 2003, on July 18 and approved by the Azerbaijan Constitutional Court on July 25.
A significant amendment is to extend the president's term in office from five to seven years.
Another notable amendment is the establishment of a vice-presidency institution to replace the current institution of prime minister.
Other amendments include lowering the age limit for becoming a parliament member from 25 to 18 and adding an article on dissolution of parliament and responsibilities of municipalities.
Azerbaijan's Constitution was adopted on Nov. 12, 1995. It was first amended through a referendum in 2002 and amended again seven years later.
On July 26, President Aliyev signed a decree to set Sept. 26 as the date for this time's referendum.
