Bagus BT Saragih, Jakarta – The rift within President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party appeared to increase on Tuesday, with supporters of party chairman Anas Urbaningrum making their stance public.
Scores of senior Democratic Party politicians attacked fellow party members who demanded that Anas step down for his alleged corrupt practices. Lawmaker Benny Kabur Harman, one of Anas' loyal allies, said that there were "parasites" within the party and "termites" from within that were bent on destroying the party.
"These people have systematically organized attacks on the party to prevent it from winning the 2014 general elections," Benny added.
Party deputy secretary-general Ramadhan Pohan said that the threat against Anas had been exaggerated. "Rumors saying that Anas would be soon replaced have been proven to be a 1,000 percent hoax," he said.
Anas himself also suggested there had been a movement to drive public opinion against him. "I am no defendant or suspect. But the public has shared an opinion that I am a convict," he said. Anas also maintained his claim of innocence.
"I am completely innocent. Let's wait for the legal processes to complete. I am totally ready for whatever the outcome will be. The judicial processes [on the cases implicating me] will answer the public's right to know," Anas said on the sidelines of a party executive meeting in Jakarta.
Party executive Sutan Bhatoegana and party spokesperson Andi Nurpati, said the meeting could have been used to discuss the party's deepening rift. "We are going to identify those parasites and termites. They must be exterminated," Sutan said. Anas, however, said that the meeting was merely aimed at "maintaining party solidity".
A number of Democratic Party politicians, including two members of the party's board of patrons, have issued statements suggesting that Anas should step down from his position, at least on an interim basis. Anas' critics said that his alleged role in numerous graft cases had contributed to the slumping of the party's image.
Witnesses in graft trials have testified that Anas had illicitly benefited from the construction of an athletes' village for the 2011 SEA Games, worth Rp 191.7 billion (US$21.28 million).
Besides the support given by some senior party members, Anas has also reportedly enjoyed support from almost all of the party's regional branches. "The party's central board has never received a complaint from regional branches concerning cases implicating our chairman," Andi Nurpati said.
Analysts have said that this grassroots support has prevented Yudhoyono, the party's chief patron, from making a swift decision against Anas.
Critics of Anas from within the party are said to be the supporters of losing candidates in the party's chairmanship election in 2010 in Bandung, West Java. The losing candidates in the elections were House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie and Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng.
Former party treasurer, who is now a graft defendant, Muhammad Nazaruddin, has repeatedly said that he disbursed billions of funds he illicitly pocketed from state budget-funded projects to help Anas win votes in the election. Although Anas' alleged roles have been frequently suggested, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has yet to name him as a suspect.