[BBC.CO.UK] Azerbaijan's leader Ilham Aliyev has claimed victory in presidential polls, thanking the Azeri people for electing him to a third term.With about three-quarters of the votes counted Mr Aliyev had won nearly 85%, the national election commission said.
The president called the election a "triumph of democracy", but opposition groups alleged widespread fraud.
Mr Aliyev inherited the presidency from his father in 2003. He has stifled dissent and scrapped term limits.
So confident was he of victory on Wednesday, he did not run a campaign.
"Azerbaijan will continue successfully to develop as a democratic country," Mr Aliyev said in a pre-recorded TV address. "The fact that this election was free and transparent is another serious step towards democracy."