Moscow - Azeris went to the polls in droves Wednesday to vote on whether to scrap term limits for President Ilham Aliyev and extend the family's dynastic rule over oil-rich Azerbaijan.

Opposition forces called for a boycott of the vote, but Azeri elections authorities reported a high turnout in the referendum almost certain to secure Aliyev's a prolonged seat in power. There is 25 per cent threshold for the constitutional amendment to hold.

Moscow/Baku, Azerbaijan - Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev won almost 90 per cent of the vote to secure another five-year term in oil-rich Caspian state in an election boycotted by the only real opposition, the country's central election committee said.

Aliyev, 46, son of the post-Soviet state's former strongarm ruler, grabbed 89.04 per cent of the ballots, Russia's Itar-Tass news agency quoted the commission as saying late Wednesday after about 70 per cent of the vote had been counted.