Campaigning ends in Benin

Campaigning has ended for Sunday's elections in the west African state of Benin.

In an interview with the Reuters news agency, President Mathieu Kerekou promised to respect the results of the elections if defeated.

He said he knew what the rule of law, was because he'd lost an election before.

His main challenger is Nicephore Soglo, who defeated Mr Kerekou in 1991, but lost to him in the last elections in 1996.

Seventeen candidates are taking part, including the first ever woman candidate, Marie-Elise Gbedo, who's a lawyer. Correspondents say that the election is seen as an important test of how firmly democracy has taken root in Benin, which was one of the first west African states to dismantle a one-party system after the collapse of communism in eastern Europe.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service