Amien Rais' party passes screening

JAKARTA: The National Mandate Party (PAN) has passed the administrative screening process for its central board conducted by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights on Friday, the first of two steps to be eligible to join the 2004 legislative and presidential elections.

The head of political party verification at the ministry, Ramli Hutabarat, said that PAN had fulfilled the administrative requirements for the elections.

He said that the ministry examined a political party's executive board, the status of the party's office and a number of administrative equipment owned by the party.

"PAN's central board has been examined but we must verify the party's branches across the country," Ramli said.

PAN Chairman Amien Rais welcomed the verification, saying and he was optimistic that his party would gain at least 15 percent of the vote in the elections. He also hoped that the party would be included in the elections' big three winners.

In the 1999 election, PAN ranked fifth after the Indonesian Democratic Party for Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP). -- JP