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Congo commission sets November 2016 election date

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Congo’s electoral commission has set a date for next year’s presidential and legislative elections.

The commission announced Thursday that the vote will take place on Nov. 27, 2016.

While the vote is more than a year away, discussions over the terms of the elections already have led to deadly violence.

President Joseph Kabila had proposed a national census to take place before an election could be held, but opposition leaders accused him of using that only as a delay tactic so he could hold on to power longer.

Kabila has been president since 2001 and under current law is barred from seeking another term. The protests over his proposal have left at least 27 people dead, according to government statistics.

Protests, politics and power: Here are 2019’s top photos of the year

It's hard to pinpoint what 2019 will best be remembered for: power struggles, blossoming protest movements, heartbreaking tragedies or dazzling achievements in sports. Needless to say, the decade went out with a bang — the world is in flux. Wherever history unfolded, Associated Press photographers were there to witness it. Relieve the year in photos with these 46 shots for the ages:
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