At the Democrats’ leadership meeting last week, party founder Yudhoyono said he had received information that the coming election would be fixed so that only two presidential and vice presidential candidate pairs would participate.

"My friends, why should I show up again ahead of the 2024 general election? I’ve heard and learned of indications that the 2024 election could be dishonest and unfair," Yudhoyono said in a video posted on social media by the head of the party's North Sumatra branch.

"Reportedly, the presidential election will be tampered with by those who want only two pairs of presidential candidates and running mates of their choosing," he said. "[I heard that] the Democrats, as the opposition, would never [be allowed to] nominate their own candidate [pair] for president and vice president – even with coalition partners.”

Yudhoyono, who is often referred to by his initials SBY, stressed that no individual or organization should be allowed to orchestrate election processes for its own benefit because elections were meant to represent the will of the people.

“And remember that during our two-term administration we had two general elections, including presidential elections, and the Democrats never committed such an evil deed,” he said.

Yudhoyono's remarks came after Democratic Party deputy chairman Benny Kabur Harman told the media that there were “invisible hands” trying to prevent Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, often seen as the strongest challenger to pro-government candidates, from running in the 2024 presidential election.