▁not ▁boy c ott ▁the ▁refer endum . ▁" The ▁Cong ol ese ▁are ▁a ▁free ▁and ▁so ver eign ▁people ", ▁he ▁declared , ▁predict ing ▁that ▁the ▁refer endum ▁would ▁succeed ▁" because ▁I ▁know ▁that ▁our ▁people ▁love ▁peace ." ▁ ▁The ▁vote ▁was ▁held ▁peace fully , ▁without ▁any ▁reports ▁of ▁violence . ▁Turn out ▁reported ly ▁improved ▁as ▁the ▁day ▁progress ed ▁and ▁" log ist ical ▁problems " ▁were ▁resolved . ▁However , ▁Pascal ▁Ts aty ▁M ab ial a , ▁the ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁main ▁opposition ▁party , ▁the ▁Pan - A fr ican ▁Union ▁for ▁Social ▁Dem ocracy , ▁argued ▁on ▁ 2 6 ▁October ▁that ▁the ▁refer endum ▁was ▁" tot ally ▁dis cred ited " ▁due ▁to ▁low ▁turn out ▁and ▁that ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁it ▁should ▁be ▁ann ul led . ▁ ▁Results ▁Raymond ▁M b oul ou , ▁the ▁Minister ▁of ▁the ▁Inter ior , ▁announced ▁the ▁results ▁of ▁the ▁refer endum ▁on ▁ 2 7 ▁October , ▁stating ▁that ▁the ▁proposal ▁to ▁change ▁the ▁constitution ▁was ▁over wh el ming ly ▁approved ▁by ▁vot ers , ▁with ▁ 9 2 . 9 6 % ▁in ▁favor . ▁Turn out ▁was ▁placed ▁at ▁ 7 2 . 4 4 %. ▁M b oul ou ▁said ▁that ▁the ▁new ▁constitution ▁was ▁thus ▁adopted ▁and ▁would ▁officially ▁become ▁the ▁law ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁once ▁it ▁was ▁prom ul g ated ▁by ▁President ▁S ass ou ▁N gu esso . ▁Meanwhile , ▁the ▁opposition