Mexico's leftist Democratic Revolution Party (PRD) has commissioned computer hackers to crack a password protecting a list of those benefiting from a $100 billion bank bailout which followed the currency crisis of 1994 and 1995, Reuters reports.

Opposition leaders have called for publication of the list, which they say will implicate businessmen and government officials in shady loan schemes.

A disk containing the information is protected by five passwords held by Mexico's main political parties. Four opposition parties have revealed their passwords but the ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) has declined.

"Our position is that the truth must be known," the wire service quotes PRD Congresswoman Dolores Padierna as saying. "The information has to be made public."

The hackers are said to be "very optimistic" about cracking the final password before the 2 July elections, Padierna said. "That is our goal, to have it out as soon as possible." ®