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Half of Indonesian political parties fail verification tests for election

By Xinhua,

Jakarta : About 50 percent of Indonesian political parties that registered with the General Election Commission (KPU) for participation in the 2009 polls failed to pass verification tests, KPU chairman Hafiz Ansyari said on Monday.

The results of the verification tests would be announced Monday night, but it was already certain that about half of them had failed, Antara news agency quoted Hafiz as saying at the launch of a 2009 general election familiarization campaign in Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.

He said during the verification tests it was found there were parties that did have an office or had fictitious membership lists. These parties clearly do not meet the KPU’s conditions for participation in the 2009 polls, he said.

The political parties which had passed the verification tests would be officially given permission to take part in the polls on July 9.

Hafiz Ansyari said at least 30 political parties would join next year’s elections.

According to the 2008 political parties law, a party should have at least 50 members with chapters in at least 60 percent of the country’s 33 provinces and branches in 50 percent of over 500 regencies.

The law also obliges the parties to allocate 30 percent of their central board executive seats to women.