The party’s chief, Setya Novanto, in office for barely a year, is facing calls for his resignation after a court revealed last week that he was among a long list of lawmakers alleged to have accepted illicit funds embezzled from the electronic ID card (e-ID) project.

In the project that was initiated during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration, about 40 percent of the allocated Rp 5.9 trillion was reportedly embezzled, and the money allegedly went to former home minister Gamawan Fauzi and lawmakers in House Commission II overseeing home affairs and the House Budget Committee, which had the authority to approve the project.

At that time, Setya was in charge as Golkar faction chairman at the House.

Any move to oust Setya, who is also House Speaker, from the party chairmanship has yet to made manifest but apparent maneuvers by his opponents seem to have worried Golkar’s board of experts chairman Agung Laksono.

“I want all [individuals] both within and outside party not to get over-excited,” Agung told reporters after a closed-door board of experts meeting on Tuesday.

Other Golkar politicians, such as Melchias Markus Mekeng and Agun Gunanjar, were also mentioned as allegedly receiving embezzled funds.

“I ask all members on central and regional boards to stay united and maintain solidity. The entire party management should focus on daily duties and responsibilities so that the party machine remains stable,” Agung said.

He insisted that Setya was not guilty as the court had not named him a suspect. “The KPK has not even charged Setya much less convicted him. We have to maintain the presumption of innocence,” he said.

Party unity, he added, was important so that the party could achieve the target of winning big in the 2019 legislative elections and endorsing President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in the next presidential election.

Last year, Setya won two major victories: being elected party chairman in an extraordinary meeting (munaslub) in May, defeating rival Ade Komarudin, and grabbing back the House speakership, also from Ade.

Ade was appointed as House speaker in 2015 to replace Setya, who was implicated in a scandal involving mining giant PT Freeport Indonesia, only to hand the job back a year later.

“If there are [members] who call for no new munaslub to our face, but then stab us in the back, we’ll find out,” Agung warned.

Golkar advisory board chief Aburizal Bakrie has also called on the party membership to stay united and not to force another munaslub. Both Agung and Aburizal are former Golkar chairmen.

“To all Golkar members, I want you all to support each other and work together to find solutions for all the problems faced by the party. I want any differences in view or stance to be resolved in accordance with the party’s internal mechanism and regulations,” Aburizal said in a written statement.

Under Setya, Golkar had just finished consolidation after a long leadership dispute between Agung and Aburizal. Tycoon Aburizal has usually taken an opposing political stance to Agung and Setya.

The KPK, meanwhile, is digging deeper into the case and could summon all relevant individuals if there is enough evidence.

“The KPK will further investigate the involvement of all parties as long as it has enough preliminary evidence to continue the investigation process,” said KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah.

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