Jakarta – Indonesia's Constitutional Court approved only 41 out of 273 complaints of electoral fraud in connection with last April's legislative elections, the court's chairman Jimly Asshiddiqie announced Monday.

A total of 456 cases of irregularities were brought to the newly established constitutional court by 23 political parties and 21 candidates for the regional representatives in the April 5 general election. But 183 of the complaints were rejected by the court for failing to meet requirements.

Out of the 252 complaints reviewed by the constitutional court, only 41 were ruled as proven cases of irregularities.

The court's rulings should bring only slight changes to the composition seats in the next national parliament, regional legislatures as well as the regional representatives, Asshidiqie said.

As a result of the rulings, in the national parliament two seats initially won by the Democrat Party will go instead to the Prosperous and Peace Party (PDS), while one seat from the Freedom Bull National Party (PNBK) goes to the Reform Star Party (PBR), Asshiddiqie explained.

However, the court's ruling had no affect the seats for the two major ruling parties – Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), he said.

In the April 5 parliamentary polls, Golkar won 21.6 per cent of the popular votes, followed by PDI-P with 18.5 per cent and the National Awakening Party (PKB) 10.6 per cent.

"We can say that the 2004 general elections ran impartially and independently," said Asshiddiqie, who noted that all the participating parties had been allowed to register their objections and complaints.