Jakarta – Indonesia's National Election Committee yesterday approved a final list of 2,285 candidates from three political parties sanctioned to contest the parliamentary election in May.

Eight candidates from a provisional list of 2,293 approved by the committee in January were dropped for various reasons, including resignations and death.

Four of the dropped candidates belong to the ruling Golkar party, while the others are from the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP).

The list, which was approved by the committee headed by Home Affairs Minister Yogie Memet, has 825 candidates from Golkar, 716 from the PPP and 744 from the nationalist and Christian-based Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI).

The list was approved after the committee observed a 28-day period from Feb 18 during which the public could object to the listing of the candidates.

The three parties which have a governmental seal of approval will contest the May 29 election for 425 of the 500 seats in the House of Representatives. The remaining 75 seats are reserved for the military, which does not vote.

Almost 125 million voters are registered for the polls. In the 1992 election, Golkar received 68 per cent of the votes cast, the PPP 17 per cent and the PDI 15 per cent.

Meanwhile, the two opposition parties voiced dissatisfaction over campaign regulations, which they deemed too restrictive, and a severe shortage of funds.

Both PPP secretary-general Tosari Wijaya and PDI chairman Soeryadi complained that the government had yet to give them election funds. – Kyodo, AFP.