According to Constitutional Court President August Iloki, the candidacy of Michelle Maubasi Nouri, who claimed to be a moderate opposition, was not accepted. He is specifically accused of not presenting “a medical certificate issued by sworn doctors and a declaration of financial ethics”.

The Court also stated that “a discrepancy between the signature given below the declaration of signature and the specimen of that specimen produced in the file”.

The candidacy of seven other personalities was validated, including the case of 77-year-old outgoing President Denis Sasuo Nogeso, who is seeking a fourth term.

Read: Congo: Sasuo Gugeso announces his presidential candidacy

President of the People’s Republic of Congo from 1979 to 1992, he lost the first pluralist election held in the country in 1992, won by Pascal Lisouba, whom he evicted in 1997 after a bloody civil war for supporting Angolan troops.

Sasuo Nguoso has won every election since 2002. The 2016 presidential election was the most contested.

The plenary recently said it was “concerned” about the transparency of the presidential election on March 21. The outgoing head of state will be adversely affected by his former finance minister (1997–2002), Mathias Daizan.

Read: Congo: Sasuo Gugeso promises a break with the past

In the 2016 presidential election, the candidacy of second-ranked Guy-Bryce Parfitt Koelas was chosen. Like MP Joseph Kignoubi Kia Mboungou, former Army Officer Albert Onianguye, Customs Inspector Anguios Nguangia Angambe, and Dave Muffoula, 38, without a political label.