Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed concern on Friday over internal bickering in the Democratic Party, one of the parties that supported him for the presidency.

"The President has showed his concern several times over the existence of signs of a split," presidential spokesman Andi Mallarangeng said at the Presidential Palace.

The President, he said, hope the feuding can be resolved in the spirit of unity and democracy.

Asked whether Susilo would step in to help resolve the conflict, Andi said the President just wanted the any problems to be ended democratically.

Democratic Party deputy secretary Sutan Batugana said earlier the party was dealing with the kind of ordinary internal conflicts that happen to all political parties.

The friction concerns differences over where the next party congress should be held, with the camp led by party chairman Subur Budhisantoso favoring Bali, while the camp led by deputy chairman Vence Rumangkang is backing Jakarta.