Campaigning has begun for presidential elections in Burkina Faso in which President Blaise Compaore will face opposition for the first time since he came to power in a coup eleven years ago.

His challengers in the poll to be held on November 15 are Ramb Ouedraogo of the Greens of Burkina and Frederic Fernand Guirman, a retired ambassador standing on behalf of the Front of Refusal of the Democratic African Assembly.

However the leading opposition groups are among nine parties boycotting the elections on the grounds that the electoral commssion is under government control.

They say the registration of voters,which ended last week,was deeply flawed.