Banda Aceh – As many as 1,231 legislative candidates from across Aceh will take a Koran recital test organized by the Aceh Independent Election Monitoring Committee (KIP) as part of a requirement for every person contesting the 2014 election.

"As a province that is prepared to enforce Islamic law, Aceh requires every legislative candidate to be tested for their skill in reciting the Koran," said Aceh KIP Koran Recital Test working unit head Akmal Abzal.

Akmal said the test was mandatory for prospective provincial, regental and municipal legislators in the province, but not compulsory for Provincial Representatives Council (DPD) and House of Representatives (DPR) candidates.

"The Koran recital test is required by Provincial Bylaw (Qanun) No. 3/2008 on provincial, regental and mayoralty general election candidates from local political parties," said Akmal.

Aceh KIP has set three standards for the Koran test and issued Decree No. 2/2008 on Koran recital technical guidelines for provincial, regental and mayoralty legislative candidates based on correct Koranic recitals.

Candidates need to achieve a minimum score of 50 or be disqualified. Aceh is the only province in Indonesia that requires legislative candidates to take a Koran recital test. The requirement also applies to prospective agency heads and gubernatorial candidates.