▁AR P ▁MP ▁Albert us ▁Z ij l stra ▁cha ired ▁the ▁con gress , ▁and ▁also ▁led ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁its ▁early ▁years . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁was ▁specifically ▁linked ▁to ▁the ▁liber ated ▁Re formed ▁Church . ▁M emb ership ▁of ▁the ▁church ▁was ▁a ▁pre - re quis ite ▁for ▁membership ▁of ▁the ▁party . ▁This ▁dog m atic ▁position ▁isolated ▁the ▁party . ▁ ▁The ▁party ▁participated , ▁without ▁success ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁and ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁general ▁elections . ▁After ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁elections ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁seats ▁in ▁parliament ▁was ▁extended , ▁therefore ▁the ▁number ▁of ▁votes ▁needed ▁to ▁obtain ▁a ▁seat ▁was ▁decre ased ▁from ▁one ▁percent ▁of ▁vote ▁to ▁two - third s ▁of ▁one ▁percent ▁of ▁vote . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 9 ▁general ▁election ▁it ▁appeared ▁that ▁the ▁GP V ▁had ▁won ▁a ▁seat . ▁Its ▁sole ▁MP , ▁Lan ing , ▁was ▁asked ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁queen ▁to ▁advise ▁her ▁on ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁cabinet . ▁After ▁the ▁results ▁were ▁calculated ▁exactly , ▁however , ▁it ▁became ▁clear ▁that ▁the ▁GP V ▁had ▁obtained ▁too ▁few ▁votes ▁for ▁a ▁seat . ▁▁ 1 9 6 3 – 2 0 0 3 ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 6 3 ▁the ▁party ▁finally ▁entered ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives ▁in ▁the ▁person ▁of ▁Pi eter ▁J ong eling , ▁who ▁was ▁made ▁top ▁candidate ▁on ▁advice