Former convicts will now be able to run in regional legislative elections, a commissioner from Indonesia's election commission said on Thursday.

Ferry Kurnia Rizkiansyah, a commissioner from the General Elections Commission (KPU), said former convicts could join the legislative elections for the provincial and district level as long as they were willing to issue a statement declaring that they would not commit any more violations.

"The statement must be published in the media so public know about it," Ferry told Indonesian news portal Inilah.com on Thursday.

Ferry added that former convicts must also attach a letter from the penitentiary where they were detained so that the commission could verify what kind of violation they had committed.

The commissioner added that the KPU would also allow legislative hopefuls from political parties who did not pass the final verification stage to contest in the elections, as long as they could obtain a recommendation from a political party that had passed the final stage.

"They also have to obtain a letter from their party's chairman stating they are permitted to run in the election through another political party," he said.