After months of legal debate, the General Elections Commission (KPU) decided on Thursday that the 38 politicians who had challenged their disqualification at the Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) would be on the ballots next April.

The poll body has chosen to abide by a Supreme Court’s ruling that annulled a KPU regulation to prohibit people convicted of graft, sexual assault and drug abuse from taking part in the election. 

According to the KPU, 7,968 people are running for legislative seats at the House of Representatives, and 807 for the Regional Representatives Council (DPD). It did not release the total number of people running for seats on regional legislative councils (DPRD), but is believed to exceed 200,000. 

According to the KPU, 12 ex-graft convicts are aiming for a spot in provincial councils, while 26 others are running for city and regional council seats.

Gerindra Party tops the list with six graft-tainted candidates, one of whom is Muhammad Taufik, who was sentenced to 18 months behind bars in 2004 in a graft case related to the procurement of election materials. 

Taufik is running for a legislative seat in the Jakarta Council next year while also trying to get the Jakarta deputy gubernatorial post that was left vacant by Sandiaga Uno. 

Meanwhile, three former graft convicts are on the list of DPD candidates, including former Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for corruption related to the procurement of two helicopters for the provincial administration in 2005.

“We only accommodate candidates submitting challenges to Bawaslu,” KPU commissioner Ilham Saputra said on Thursday.

A number of ex-graft convicts challenged the KPU’s earlier decision to exclude their names from a temporary candidate list for Bawaslu, which later gave the green light for several candidates to run in the election.

Ilham added that a circular had been distributed on Wednesday to regional and local election commissions on how to respond to the Supreme Court’s ruling annulling the KPU’s ban, which was meant to boost the nation’s antigraft drive. 

The court argued that the ban contradicted the 2017 Elections Law. It also referred to the Constitutional Court’s past rulings that allowed ex-graft convicts to run as legislative candidates, as long as they announced their record to the public.

Meanwhile, the KPU’s list reveals that there are no graft-tainted candidates participating in the race for House seats. 

Ilham said this was because political parties had been unable to replace their candidates.

“These parties tried to replace the ex-corruption convicts with other names from other electoral districts, but we couldn’t grant their request as prevailing regulations won’t allow it. Therefore, we just crossed their names off the list.” 

The founder of election watchdog Netgrit and former KPU commissioner Hadar Nafis Gumay lamented that the KPU had not actively reminded political parties to strike the names of former graft convicts from their candidates lists. 

“The KPU should give parties the opportunity should they want to withdraw any graft-tainted candidates,” he said.

While activists and election watchdogs had been urging the KPU to mark the names of former convicts on ballot papers as a way to inform voters, Ilham said this would be impossible as the ballots had already been designed.

“Alternatively, we can mark them [in the lists placed] at polling stations. However, we have to discuss that first.”

Gerindra deputy chairman Fadli Zon said the party “won’t disqualify former graft convicts from our candidates list”.

“We support the KPU’s antigraft spirit, but we also don’t want to harm our cadres’ political rights,” he added.

The KPU has also announced that incumbent Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and running mate Ma’ruf Amin, and Prabowo Subianto and Sandiaga Uno had fulfilled their requirements as presidential candidate pairs. Both pairs will go to the KPU office on Friday to draw their ballot numbers for the presidential election.

List of former graft convicts running in 2019 polls:

Gerindra Party

Mohamad Taufik, councilor seat in Jakarta province

Herry Jones Kere, councilor seat in North Sulawesi province

Husen Kausaha, councilor seat in North Maluku province

Alhajar Syahyan, councilor seat in Tanggamus regency, Lampung

Ferizal, councilor seat in East Belitung regency, Bangka Belitung

Mirhammuddin, councilor seat in East Belitung regency, Bangka Belitung 

Hanura Party

Midasir, councilor seat in Central Java province

Welhelmus Tahalele, councilor seat in North Maluku province

Ahmad Ibrahim, councilor seat in North Maluku province

H.M. Warsit, councilor seat in Blora regency, Central Java

Moh. Nur Hasan, councilor seat in Rembang regency, Central Java

Golkar Party

Hamid Usman, councilor seat in North Maluku province

Heri Baelanu, councilor seat in Pandeglang regency, Banten

Dede Widarso, councilor seat in Pandeglang regency, Banten

Saiful T. Lami, councilor seat in Tojo Una Una regency, Central Sulawesi

Berkarya Party

Meike Nangka, councilor seat in North Sulawesi

Arief Armaiyn, councilor seat in North Maluku 

Yohanes Marianus Kota, councilor seat in Ende regency, East Nusa Tenggara

Andi Muttamar Mattotorang, councilor seat in Bulukumba regency, South Sulawesi

National Mandate Party 

Abd. Fattah, councilor seat in Jambi

Masri, councilor seat in East Belitung regency, Bangka Belitung

Muhammad Afrizal, councilor seat in Lingga regency, Riau Islands

Bahri Syamsu Arief, councilor seat in Cilegon municipality, Banten

Democratic Party

Jones Khan, councilor seat in Pagar Alam municipality, South Sumatra

Jhony Husban, councilor seat in Cilegon municipality, Banten

Syamsudin, councilor seat in Central Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara

Darmawaty Dareho, councilor seat in Manado municipality, North Sulawesi

NasDem Party

Abu Bakar, councilor seat in Rejang Lebong regency in Bengkulu

Edi Ansori, councilor seat in Rejang Lebong regency in Bengkulu

The United Indonesia Party (Perindo)

Smuel Buntuang, councilor seat in Gorontalo province

Zukfikri, councilor seat in Pagar Alam municipality, South Sumatra

Indonesian Justice and Unity Party (PKPI)

Matius Tungka, councilor seat in Poso regency, Central Sulawesi

Joni Cornelius Tondok, councilor seat in North Toraja regency, South Sulawesi

Garuda Party

Julius Dakhi, councilor seat in South Nias regency, North Sumatra

Ariston Moho, councilor seat in South Nias regency, North Sumatra

Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)

Idrus Tadji, councilor seat in Pandeglang regency, Banten

Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)

Maksum DG Mannassa, councilor seat in Mamuju regency, West Sulawesi

Crescent Star Party (PBB)

Nasrullah Hamka, councilor seat in Jambi province