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n a move to ease infighting in his Democratic Party, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he would not protect the party’s chairman, Anas Urbaningrum, should law enforcers declare him a suspect.

Yudhoyono, who is the party’s chief patron, addressed the issue during a press conference at his residence in Cikeas, West Java, amid mounting pressure to suspend Anas, who has been accused of involvement in graft scandals.

“Anas has repeatedly claimed that he is innocent. I truly trust his words,” Yudhoyono said, reiterating that his party had a statute saying that only a party executive who has been named suspect may be dismissed.

“The public may have observed media reports saying that I had suspended Anas. That is not true. I cannot preempt legal proceedings currently carried out by the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK],” the President said.

Senior Democratic Party politicians were previously split when it came to whether Anas should step down from his position or not, particularly considering the party’s flagging support.

The KPK investigation into allegations of massive corruption by former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin has triggered accusations that Anas had also played significant roles in certain circumstances.

Witnesses in various graft trials, for example, have testified that Anas had illicitly benefited from the construction of an athletes’ village for the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang, South Sumatra, worth Rp 191.7 billion (US$21.5 million).

Other Democratic Party politicians, such as lawmakers Angelina Sondakh, Mirwan Amir and Sutan Bhatoegana have also been implicated in corruption allegations centering on Nazaruddin.

The KPK named Angelina a suspect on Friday, while Mirwan and Sutan have still not been charged.

Yudhoyono acknowledged that intensifying media reports over Anas’ alleged acts of corruption had significantly damaged the party’s popularity and affected solidity among party members across the nation.

The President, however, suggested that the immense number of reports, which had been constant over the past eight months, were “baseless attacks ahead of the 2014 general elections”.

“What our party is now facing is merely due to wrongdoings by some of its members. It is not extra-ordinary. Our party is only 10 years old. Other political parties that are much older than the Democratic Party also have similar problems, although media reports are not as intense as when it comes to our members,” Yudhoyono said.

He also suggested that the attacks against the party might be orchestrated not only by certain groups outside the party.

“I heard there has been a political movement within this party. That is not necessary, because that is not the point,” Yudhoyono said.

Before the press conference, Yudhoyono met with nine senior party members who were party founders. They include Ventje Rumangkang, Rizald Rompas, Markus Silano, Irzan Tandjung, Husen Abdul Aziz, Denny Sultani, Tata Mustaqim, Reza Ali and Sutan.

“The senior party members, who founded this party almost 10 years ago, came to my house to talk specifically about the turmoil currently surrounding the party,” Yudhoyono said.

Meanwhile, a team of lawyers for Angelina will focus on a request to suspend the detention of the Democratic Party lawmaker after she was named a suspect.

“We will soon propose a request to suspend Angelina’s detention if the KPK issues an arrest warrant. Her children, who are still very young, need her,” said lawyer Sheila Salomo.