Azerbaijan holds referendum to extend president's term

Azerbaijan held a referendum on Monday on extending the presidential term from five to seven years, a step that a European democracy watchdog has said would hand unprecedented power to President Ilham Aliyev.

Aliyev, 54, succeeded his father as president in 2003 and can seek re-election indefinitely after term limits were scrapped in another referendum seven years ago.

There are 5.3 million eligible voters in the oil-producing, former Soviet republic. The authorities argue that a longer presidential term will make for more continuity in decision-making, which they describe as vital after a slump in world oil prices halted Azerbaijan's long run of economic growth.