SBY takes over Democratic Party

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is also the Democratic Party’s chief patron, has announced that he will take over the party’s leadership in order to clean up the party. Yudhoyono asked party chairman Anas Urbaningrum to focus on addressing legal issues involving graft cases being investigated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

“I will directly lead cleanup activities within the party so that Anas can focus more on addressing those legal issues. A team of defense attorneys from the party will be provided,” Yudhoyono said in a press conference held at his private residence in Puri Cikeas housing complex on Friday.

Yudhoyono continued that the party would focus on cleaning house and would put aside all matters related to the 2014 general election for now.
Democratic Party officials were shocked by the results of a recent survey by the Syaiful Mujani Research and Consulting that found that the ruling party was in free fall, securing only 8.3 percent of votes from its 22 percent in the 2009 general election.
Some have pointed fingers at Anas Urbaningrum as the main reason for the party’s free fall, solely because Anas’ name has been mentioned several times in the court trials of former party officials.(dic)