T-shirts read: Former drug convict, former corruption convict, former pedophile convict. Documents read: 2017 Law on Elections, Supreme Court verdict. Stamp reads: Penitence, atonement.

After months of heated 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 eligible to run in the 2019 legislative election.

Having come under intense pressure from the political parties, the House of Representatives (DPR), Baswaslu and even the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the KPU agreed to abide by a Supreme Court’s ruling that annulled a KPU regulation prohibiting 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 DPR 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.

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