Amien Rais' party passes screening

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