Ezra Sihite & Anita Rachman – Voters are abandoning Indonesia's ruling Democratic Party amid a string of corruption scandals enveloping its senior figures, with a new survey of public opinion showing the party has fallen to third place.

The study carried out by the Indonesian Survey Circle (LSI) also showed the Golkar Party consolidating its top position.

Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, LSI researcher Barkah Pattimahu said that 18.9 percent of the 1,200 respondents identified Golkar as the party they would vote for, with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and Democrats picking up 14.2 percent and 13.7 percent respectively.

In January 2011, the Democratic Party led the same survey with 20.5 percent, but five months later dropped to second place with 15.5 percent. The party experienced a brief surge in popularity in October 2011 when it received the approval of 16.5 percent of respondents, but still languished in second. This latest survey, carried out in January and February, is a new low.

Barkah identified several factors contributing to the decreased popularity of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling party, including the alleged involvement of senior party members in a massive 2011 Southeast Asian Games graft case.

Former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin is on trial for his role in the case, while Democratic lawmaker Angelina Sondakh has been named a suspect. Nazaruddin has also accused party chairman Anas Urbaningrum of involvement in the case. Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng and lawmaker Mirwan Amir, both Democratic Party members, have also been implicated in the graft case.

The president's poor public approval ratings have also hurt the party. In January 2011, 57 percent of respondents expressed satisfaction with Yudhoyono's presidency. This figure dropped to 49 percent in the latest study.

Yudhoyono on Sunday spoke about the survey results, conceding that the party's popularity had dropped in the last eight months. "I want to stress that acts and allegations of corruption carried out by party members are not part of the party line," he said.

The president added that party members had to be aware that they could not deviate from party policies. "Even though we are a relatively young party, we will overcome this crisis," he said. "In moments such as this we need to seek God's help, admit to mistakes, weaknesses and shortcomings and start correcting things."

Given the survey results, Barkah laid out three scenarios that could play out in the run up to general elections in 2014.

First, Anas could resign prior to the party meeting at an extraordinary congress. Second, if Anas refused to step down, delegates to the extraordinary congress would choose a new party chairperson. Third, Anas could refuse to step down and the congress would collapse.

However, Anas retains the support of the president, who said on Sunday that Anas would not be asked to step down. "Anas has strong backing at all levels of the party," Barkah said, adding that party factions led by House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie and Andi Mallarangeng could play a role in its fate.

He warned that calling an extraordinary congress could lead to widening rifts within the party that would lead to its popularity dropping even further.