Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The fate of the beleaguered chairman of the Democratic Party, Anas Urbaningrum, rests with the little-known supervisory committee now investigating allegations against him as calls for his resignation intensify.

Democratic Party deputy secretary general Saan Mustopa said that the party's advisory council had formed an ad hoc committee chaired by senior Democrat T.B. Silalahi.

Silalahi, an adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and a former minister, is tasked with collecting information on the allegations leveled at Anas. "If there is a definite finding against any [Democratic] leader we will act on it, including if it involves the chairman," Saan said.

Anas has been accused by graft suspect and former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin of taking Rp 50 billion ($5.6 million) in kickbacks from a Rp 1.7 trillion project to build a sports stadium in Bogor and another Rp 80 billion from a Rp 2.2 trillion project to build power plants in East Kalimantan and Riau.

During Nazaruddin's trial last Wednesday, a witness testified that money connected to the projects had been funneled to support Anas's election as chairman of the Democrats during a party congress in 2010.

A second witness testified on Friday that she had personally seen a check from the contractor that won the stadium project arrive at the office where both Anas and Nazaruddin worked, although she could not recall the amount.

The case has already caused rifts in the ruling party, with some taking a cautious approach and others advocating the replacement of Anas.

Members of the party's advisory council said they would continue to support the chairman unless he is charged with a criminal offense. But some party politicians have said they want urgent action to save the party.

Yunarto Wijaya, from the Charta Politika political research institute, said the internal rift indicated that the outcome of the 2010 congress was not well received by all party leaders. "The fighting going now is the outcome of the congress," Yunarto said.

At the congress, Anas defeated two other candidates, Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng and House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie. Yunarto said there were still people from the losing camps holding grudges against Anas, particularly after information surfaced of vote-buying allegedly financed by Nazaruddin.

Saan said the party had a dispute resolution mechanism not found in other parties. He cited the split inside the Golkar Party, with key members Wiranto, Prabowo Subianto and Surya Paloh establishing their own political parties after losing their bids to chair Golkar.

"In the Democratic Party, [dispute resolution] is better and more mature. If, for the last few days, there have been developments, I think these are still within limits. We are just putting forward our ideas," he said.

But Muhammad Qodari, the director of polling institute Indo Barometer, said the rift was evident and could destroy the Democrats unless party founder Yudhoyono intervened. "There are grudges [from the 2010 congress] and these form a time bomb that could explode any time," he said.