Nairobi/Niamey  - Voting began Tuesday in Niger's parliamentary elections, which are taking place despite a boycott by opposition parties and international calls for the poll to be postponed.

Opposition parties are furious with President Mamadou Tandja, who earlier this year dissolved parliament then called a referendum that succeeded in extending his mandate for three years and allowed him to run for president again.

The African Union and the European Union were amongst those who called for the elections to be delayed until the political crisis is resolved.

Some 6 million voters are eligible to take part in the election, which is aimed at filling 113 seats.

The president called the August referendum in order to cling to power beyond the end of 2009, when his second and final term in power was set to expire.

Tandja, 71, faced international criticism for dissolving the constitutional court and riding roughshod over parliament as he attempted to extend his term.

There is international concern that the president's attempts to remain in power could cause instability in the impoverished nation of 15 million.

According to Tandja, he needs to continue his rule to oversee foreign-backed projects such as a French uranium mine and an oil refinery.

Tandja and his supporters say these projects have started to raise living standards but that they would falter if he were forced to step down.

The EU, one of Niger's major donors, suspended aid to the country and warned that Tandja's actions constitute "grave violations of core democratic values and the principles of the rule of law." (dpa)