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n its extraordinary national meeting this weekend, the Democratic Party is expected to decide on a replacement for incumbent chairman Anas Urbaningrum, who has been relieved of his duties by the party’s chief patron, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Feb. 17 meeting is likely to discuss a mechanism to elect a successor to Anas.

One of the party’s board of patrons, Hayono Isman, said on Wednesday that Anas could lose the party’s chairmanship if he was named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) or was forced to resign by an extraordinary party congress.

“It may take a long time for the KPK to complete their investigation into the graft allegations. Thus, an extraordinary congress appears to be the only possible option at the moment to seek Anas’ ouster,” Hayono told reporters at the House of Representatives compound on Wednesday.

Hayono, however, believed that Yudhoyono could heal friction within the party in the near future without having to resort to an extraordinary congress.

He added that it would take a while before the party could convene an extraordinary congress.

“We need time to prepare the congress. In the Sunday meeting we may or may not discuss the possibility of an extraordinary congress. So let’s just wait to see what will happen on Sunday, anything could happen because of the fluid situation. This is an extraordinary situation that calls for extraordinary measures,” he said.

In his efforts to take complete control of the party from Anas, Yudhoyono is set to hold a meeting this weekend with hundreds of leaders from the party’s local branches. More than 500 local branch leaders have confirmed their attendance at the National Leadership Meeting (Rapimnas).

Many have predicted that the meeting will open the door for an extraordinary congress that could see Anas being removed from his position.

Anas has been implicated in the Hambalang sports complex scandal. The KPK is expected to name him a suspect, most likely for receiving a gratuity in the form of a luxury
Toyota Harrier SUV that, according to fellow Democratic Party politician Muhammad Nazaruddin, was a gift from PT Adhi Karya after the company won the Hambalang tender.

Senior politicians within the Democratic Party have prepared a contingency plan in the event of Anas’ departure.

A number of individuals including the party’s secretary general, and son of Yudhoyono, Eddie “Ibas” Baskoro Yudhoyono; Gen. Pramono Edhie Wibowo, the Army chief of staff and Yudhoyono in-law; Soekarwo, the East Java governor and a member of the party’s board of patrons; and the outgoing Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD have been tapped to fill Anas’ position.

Separately, another member of the Democratic Party board of patrons, Law and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsudin, denied speculation that the Sunday meeting would seek Anas’ ouster.

Amir said the planned meeting would only focus on getting local party leaders to sign an integrity pact against corruption. “I don’t have anything more to say about the meeting. Let’s just wait until it happens. From what I was told the meeting will gather support for the chairman of the board of patrons’ efforts to change the party for the better,” he said.

Party spokesperson Andi Nurpati said she could not confirm whether Anas would turn up at the meeting. Anas was notably absent when Yudhoyono gathered leaders of the party provincial branches late last week to sign the integrity pact against corruption.