DRC: No shortage of candidates for elections

The large number of presidential candidates, the withdrawal of the main opposition party and the continuing violence in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), have given rise to fears among international observers of a fraught run-up to the elections. By the time the registration of candidates in the 2006 election closed Sunday, 72 candidates had put themselves forward for the presidency and more than 4 000 for the 500 posts up for grabs in the legislative elections, the Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) said.