Congo presidential hopeful files high court election challenge News
Congo presidential hopeful files high court election challenge

[JURIST] Democratic Republic of Congo [JURIST news archive] Vice President Jean-Pierre Bemba [campaign website, in French; Wikipedia profile] filed an anticipated challenge [JURIST report] to the results of last month's presidential run-off election [JURIST report] in the country's Supreme Court Saturday. Congolese military personnel and UN peacekeeping forces surrounded the high court building in downtown Kinshasa as a precaution against rioting. Officials announced Wednesday that Bemba lost the election to incumbent Joseph Kabila [BBC profile; PPRD party website, in French] by 16 percentage points. The challenge alleges seven different violations including ballot-box stuffing, irregularities in voter turnout, and the barring of election officials from some polling places.

Voting fraud [JURIST report] has been an issue [JURIST report] throughout the election. Over 30 people have died [NYT report] in election-related violence since the initial poll July 30. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.