An opposition party in the Central African Republic (CAR) has filed a court order for the country's president to step down because of his suspected poor health.

The head of the MDREC party, filed a petition this week asking the court to declare President Francoise Bozize unfit to stay in office.

In the petition, Jose Bendounga said “due to the president's long and incurable (unspecified) illness, he has been plagued by physical and mental incapacity that is highly prejudicial to the exercise of his high office.”

A spokesman for President Bozize responded in a nationwide broadcast Thursday that he “enjoys perfect health” and that claims of his demise are” lies”.

Mr. Bozize first came to power in a 2003 coup.