The KPU drafted a regulation in 2018 that included a ban on former graft convicts from running in the 2019 general election. The draft regulation led to a prolonged dispute with the previous batch of lawmakers, which criticized the elections body for overstepping its authority.

Despite the lawmakers' vigorous objections, the KPU had persisted in issuing the regulation. It was eventually repealed by the Supreme Court in September 2018, after several former graft convicts filed a petition for judicial review.

KPU chairman Arief Budiman said the commission decided to add a similar clause to the draft KPU regulation (PKPU) on regional election candidates, because of the broad powers of regional heads. 

“In a regional election, the individual who is elected will be the leader of that particular region. Our hope is that this one person should be the best person [to lead], not just someone who is capable of carrying out the duties of the office, but someone who will be a role model for the people he is leading,” Arief said on Monday on the sidelines of a meeting with House Commission II overseeing home affairs. 

While several Commission II members reiterated some of the same objections raised last year, a few lawmakers seemed more open to the candidacy ban for graft convicts than their predecessors. 

Freshman lawmaker H. Kamrussamad of the Gerindra Party said the regulation should give greater prominence to the election ban on graft convicts.

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