YEREVAN, MARCH 16, ARMENPRESS. The referendum on Constitutional changes cannot take place during the state of emergency, ARMENPRESS reports Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan said at the National Assembly.

''According to the legislation of Armenia, no referendum can be held during the period of the state of emergency. The referendum will take place not sooner than 50 days and not later than 65 days after the state of emergency. The process of the referendum will restart from the point it stopped'', Pashinyan said.

Voters are expected to decide in the April 5 referendum whether or not the incumbent Chairman of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan, as well as most other justices appointed under the previous constitution, should remain in office. The referendum was scheduled on April 5, but the Government of Armenia has adopted a bill on declaring a 30-day nationwide state of emergency over the novel coronavirus lasting from March 16th, 18:30 until April 14th, 17:00.

Novel coronavirus infection cases reached 30 in Armenia, one of them has recovered and been discharged from hospital. No one's life is under danger.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan