ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNOUNCES DEFINITIVE LIST OF

UNCLAS KINSHASA 000600 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KDEM CG SUBJECT: ELECTORAL COMMISSION ANNOUNCES DEFINITIVE LIST OF 33 PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES IN DRC REF: A. KINSHASA 547 ¶B. KINSHASA 575 ¶1. (U) The Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) announced April 15 the final and definitive list of presidential candidates. Following its review of more than 40 challenges to the list, the Supreme Court added the name of one independent candidate who had previously failed to provide copies of his criminal record when registering as a candidate (as required by the DRC's electoral law). That addition brought the number of presidential candidates to 33. ¶2. (SBU) The next step in the electoral process is the publication of the CEI's provisional list of legislative candidates. The CEI released an initial list of 8,340 candidates for the 500-seat National Assembly April 12 (reftel B). The CEI had announced it would publish the provisional list April 15, after candidates had the opportunity to provide any paperwork missing from their dossiers. The CEI has not yet provided this list, however, because of logistical delays in receiving updated dossiers from CEI field offices. CEI President Abbe Apollinaire Malu Malu earlier said he would announce a revised electoral calendar after the release of the provisional list. (Note: The first round of presidential and legislative elections are currently scheduled for June 18. End note.) DOUGHERTY