Azeris hold local elections

Voters in Azerbaijan have been to the polls in eleven districts where results in last November's legislative elections were annulled because of widespread irregularities.

Local election officials said that there had been a turn-out of just over forty-five per cent, with no reports of serious violence.

The elections in November were won by the party of President Heydar Aliyev, but were criticised by international observers for vote rigging, ballot stuffing and intimidation.

Thousands of people took to the streets of the capital, Baku, after the vote, calling for Mr Aliyev's resignation.

Correspondents say the new poll is widely seen a playing a key role in deciding whether Azerbaijan will be accepted, along with Armenia, into the Council of Europe.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service