The Democratic Republic of Congo's electoral commission rejects Jean-Pierre Bemba's candidacy on the basis of his previous war crime convictions by the International Criminal Court

KINSHASA, DR Congo – Former warlord Jean-Pierre Bemba's candidacy in the Democratic Republic of Congo's upcoming presidential elections was deemed "inadmissible" by the country's election commission on Friday, August 24, as opposition groups cried foul. Bemba, a former warlord who earlier in August returned to the Congolese capital Kinshasa to submit his candidacy for president after a decade in prison in The Hague for war crimes, had been seen as one of the frontrunners in the race to succeed incumbent Joseph Kabila. The election commission's decision was condemned by opposition parties and can be appealed before the final list is published in September.
The electoral commission publishes the list of approved candidates. Jean-Pierre Bemba and two former prime ministers are excluded.