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n spite of the open and seemingly democratic nature of the Democratic Party'€™s primary to select the party'€™s presidential candidate, party chairman President Susilo Bambang Yudhyono is pulling all the strings.

Political analyst at the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI), Siti Zuhro, said that every step of the party'€™s primary would be closely monitored by Yudhoyono, and that the 11 prospective candidates that had already passed the preliminary stage could only advance if he gave his blessing.

'€œThe 11 names are the ones requested by SBY. From the President'€™s point of view, they are the candidates that should advance. Pak SBY does not want to lose his role as a kingmaker,'€ Siti said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Siti said that Yudhoyono exercised complete control over the Democratic Party, especially following his decision to take over the party in March following corruption allegations leveled against then party chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

'€œHe will use his last drop of blood guarding the Democratic Party,'€ Siti said.

The independent committee for the Democratic Party'€™s presidential primary has announced that 11 prospective candidates could advance to the next stage of the primary.

The candidates are Indonesian Ambassador to the United States Dino Patti Djalal; Paramadina University Rector Anis R Baswedan; former military commander Gen. (ret) Endriartono Sutarto; member of the Democrat Party'€™s advisory board, Hayono Isman; chairman of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), Irman Gusman; Trade Minister Gita Wirjawan; former Army chief of staff Gen. (ret) Pramono Edhie Wibowo; North Sulawesi Governor Sinyo Harry Saroendajang; Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) deputy head Ali Maskur Musa, and House of Representatives'€™ Speaker Marzuki Alie, who is also deputy chair of the Democratic Party'€™s Supreme Council.

A number of prominent politicians have decided not to join the primary, despite being invited by the party. They include former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD; former Central Java deputy governor Rustriningsih; Lion Air CEO Rusdi Kirana, and former vice president and current Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) chairman Jusuf Kalla.

The refusal by these high-profile figures to join the primary has raised questions about the credibility of the selection process.

'€œPeople might think that the primary is not credible, due to the vague selection mechanism and lack of transparency in the invitation process,'€ analyst Hanta Yudha AR of the Pol-Tracking Institute said late last week.

Hanta said candidates were selected in a closed meeting without selection criteria being released to the public.

Furthermore, the whole idea of organizing a primary clearly violated the party'€™s own constitution, which stipulated that a presidential candidate be appointed by the board of trustees, Hanta added.

He said that if the primary was conducted professionally it may end up electing a credible presidential candidate and boost the party'€™s electability rating, which has recently fallen due to graft scandals implicating a number of its politicians.

Speculation is rife, however, that the Democratic Party primary is merely a ruse before the party goes ahead and appoints Pramono Edhie Wibowo, Yudhoyono'€™s brother-in-law, as its candidate. Many have said he was preferred by the First Family and that the primary was being staged to grant him the nomination.