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here was no exaggeration when senior Democratic Party politician Marzuki Alie allegorized the conundrum currently facing the ruling party as a “devastating tsunami”. But he and the rest of the party elite simply lack the guts to mitigate the disaster, which will potentially lead them to a crushing defeat in the 2014 elections.

With no affirmative measures in sight following the Tuesday meeting at the house of chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to address corruption allegations implicating some of the party’s key figures, the public has lost the chance to learn something from the country’s largest political party in terms of how democracy should be translated into practice. For that very reason we care much about the internal affairs of the party, known for its electoral campaign tagline of “say no to corruption”.

Democracy that advances the culture of accountability and statesmanship often pushes politicians in most democratic nations across the globe to resign, either voluntary or not, which represents a graceful exit given the credibility crisis facing their party. But it’s not the case here in Indonesia, dubbed the third largest democracy in the world, as well as the Democratic Party.

It won the most votes in the 2009 legislative election courtesy of the public’s trust in its founder President Yudhoyono, who later on secured his second five-year mandate. But public confidence in the party has been plummeting ever since its former treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin was named a suspect in a corruption case related to the construction of an athletes village for the 2011 SEA Games in Palembang. The Corruption Court heard from defendants and witnesses in Nazaruddin’s trial, roles that were filled by the party’s elite, particularly chairman Anas Urbaningrum.

Anas has denied any link to the SEA Games saga and other graft cases implicating Nazaruddin, who claimed partook in corrupt practices to help Anas turn the table on the favorites for the party’s chief post in 2010, which he eventually won. In a court hearing last week, a witness referred to Anas as the “big chief” to describe his involvement in the SEA Games case.

The investigation into Anas’ possible role in the graft case is the business of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), but the Democratic Party and Anas himself can help facilitate the legal process if they wish.

The party leaders suspended and later dismissed Nazaruddin as both party treasurer and House of Representatives legislator for the sake of the party’s image, as an investigation into the corruption case gained steam. The party’s failure to take bold measures against Anas, despite a certain degree of internal pressure, will raise many eyebrows as to whether his suspension or dismissal will deal a major blow to the party’s existence.

The party leaders have no other choice but to take a bitter medicine to heal the party’s nose-diving approval rate. For their powerful chief patron President Yudhoyono, his decisiveness in the most critical period the party has ever faced will determine not only its chances in the next elections, but also its survival.

Yudhoyono, who on Wednesday reconfirmed his commitment to corruption eradication, should not waste this golden chance to show who is boss now that the party is in a dire need of an exit strategy. But Anas can provide a graceful exit by relinquishing his post temporarily to facilitate a thorough investigation into the current scandal plaguing the party.