Moch. N. Kurniawan, Jakarta – All 50 eligible political parties beat the midnight deadline for registration with the General Elections Commissions (KPU) on Thursday, paving the way for their participation in the 2004 general elections.

The last party to register with the KPU was the Indonesian National Unification Party (PPNI), whose representatives arrived at the commission's offices at around 11:30 p.m.

All the parties that passed the screening by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights have to register with the KPU in order to undergo further vetting so that they can contest the 2004 elections.

Only parties that have offices in two-thirds of the country's 32 provinces and two-thirds of the regencies/municipalities in those provinces will be allowed to contest the 2004 legislative elections, and the country's first ever direct presidential election. The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights had verified and declared legitimate 50 of the over 100 political parties registered with the ministry.

A party is required to have offices in 50 percent of the country's provinces and in 50 percent of the regencies/municipalities in those provinces in order to be declared a legitimate political party.

Of the 50 legitimate parties, 32 were recognized as political entities only last Saturday, forcing the parties to rush to register with the KPU.

According to prevailing electoral law, a party must register with the KPU for vetting before it can contest the 2004 elections.

The KPU will announce the final decision on the parties eligible to contest next year's election on December 2.

So far, six political parties have secured their places in next year's elections, namely, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the Golkar Party, the United Development Party (PPP), the National Awakening Party (PKB), the National Mandate Party (PKB), and the Crescent Star Party (PBB).

These parties will not be screened as they passed the two-percent threshold in the 1999 elections, the first after the downfall of former dictator Soeharto.

Indonesia is scheduled to hold legislative elections on April 5, 2004, and a two-stage direct presidential election on July 5 and September 20, 2004, respectively.

The KPU has allocated Rp 5 billion (US$595,000) to verify both political parties and candidates for the Regional Representatives Council (PDP) across the country.

KPU member Mulyana W. Kusumah said that in its Wednesday plenary meeting, the KPU had determined that a province with between one and 10 regencies/municipalities would get Rp 100 million for the verification of parties and regional representative candidates.

A province with 11 to 20 regencies/municipalities would get Rp 200 million, a province with 21 to 30 regencies/municipalities Rp 300 million, and a province with 31 to 40 regencies/municipalities Rp 400 million.

There are 32 provinces, 416 regencies/municipalities, 5,121 subdistricts and 70,828 villages in Indonesia, according to the population and voter census conducted by the Central Statistics Agency.