FOUR MORE POLITICAL PARTIES TO TAKE PART IN 2009 POLLS

Jakarta, Aug 16 (ANTARA) - Four more political parties have been declared eligible to contest the 2009 general elections bringing the total number of political parties to take part in the polls to 38, the General Election Commission (KPU) announced.

The four political parties are the Freedom Party (Partai Merdeka), Indonesian Nahdlatul Ummah Unity Party (Partai Persatuan Nahdlatul Ummah Indonesia), Indonesian Association Party (Partai Sarikat Indonesia) and Labor Party (Partai Buruh), KPU Chairman Abdul Hafiz Anshary said here Saturday.

Previously, the four political parties had not been included in the list of eligible parties on the ground they had not passed the KPU's physical verification test. But the parties then challenged the KPU's decision in the State Administrative Court (PTUN) which eventualy ruled in their favor.

"The PTUN's decision required the KPU to declare political parties that took part in the 2004 elections eligible for participation in the 2009 polls in accordance with the law," Anshary said.

The KPU chief made the statements at a KPU session to assign serial numbers to the four additional political parties.