Algeria's Constitutional Council has kept a list of candidates for the December 12 presidential election, consisting of five candidates, including two prime ministers who took office under President Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

The council announced its "rejection of appeals" by nine candidates and approved the list of candidates "accepted by the Independent National Electoral Authority," APS reported.

The 23 candidates submitted their files to compete in the presidential elections, but the authority overseeing the elections announced earlier this month that five candidates met the conditions.

The head of the Constitutional Council, Kamal Fneish, said in a televised statement on Saturday that the Council kept my file nomination of former prime ministers Ali bin Fleis and Abdel Majid Taboun.

The list of candidates also includes Ezzedine Mihoubi, a former minister under Bouteflika, Abdelkader Ben Kreina, head of the National Building Movement, an Islamist party to which the speaker of the National People's Assembly (the first chamber of parliament) belongs, and Abdelaziz Belaid, who has struggled throughout his career. The ruling National Liberation Front (FNL) before defecting it to establish the Future Front party, which is close to power.

The ongoing protest movement in the country since February rejects presidential elections and calls for the establishment of transitional institutions before that.