Right-wing congressmen sympathetic to the former Chilean military leader, General Augusto Pinochet, have forced the postponement of a key vote on his conduct by walking out of a parliamentary debate.

The lower house was to have decided whether to press ahead with the prosecution of General Pinochet, who's accused of responsibility for human rights abuses.

But after the walk-out, the vote couldn't take place because there was no quorum.

Earlier, there were scuffles outside the Congress building between supporters and opponents of the General.

General Pinochet is due to take up a seat in the Chilean senate when he retires as head of the army in March.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service
 

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