The Election Commission rejected yesterday most of the presidential registrations received from independent candidates, saying many of the hopefuls failed to win the approval of at least 250 elected members of Parliament and Municipal Councils. Around a hundred people withdrew registration forms over the past week while only 30 candidates from 16 parties turned in acceptable applications, the commission said. Nine independents, among them four women, did not get the required 250 signatures of elected national or local officials, it said. Applicants have until tomorrow to object in case they were rejected and the commission will publish the final list of candidates on Aug. 13, less than a month before the country's key vote on Sept. 7.