The 73-year-old talked candidly about his stance regarding Jokowi’s admission of intervening in the selection of a preferred successor in a publication titled The President Can Do No Wrong, 2024 Presidential Election & President Jokowi's ‘Cawe-Cawe’, released on Monday to the party’s inner circle.

Having hosted private meetings with political party leaders and appearing to hint at his support for the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle’s (PDI-P) presidential nominee Ganjar Pranowo, and then doing the same for Gerindra Party nominee Prabowo Subianto, Jokowi was criticized for maneuvers that his detractors have described as cawe-cawe, a Javanese term for meddling.

In the 24-page pamphlet, copies of which have circulated among journalists, Yudhoyono made clear that he did not take issue with Jokowi’s cawe-cawe in the hunt for his successor, including a recent move to influence the ruling coalition to back his preferred choice in next year’s race.

So long as Jokowi does not use any state resources to help influence the presidential race, he said, the President was free to have a preference for who should continue his legacy and give them his endorsement.

It was also not legally wrong, he noted, for the incumbent leader to engage in political maneuvering and work with parties to build a consensus on preventing any challenger of whom he disapproves from running, as he has done with opposition figurehead Anies Baswedan.

“What could make Pak Jokowi’s cawe-cawe a problem is if he and his aides make moves that violate the law and/or equate to an abuse of power in order to prevent a third candidate pairing from running,” Yudhoyono wrote.

Trying to build a legal case against Anies “with no strong evidence”, or using legal threats against political leaders to pressure parties not to nominate him, was a “biased” abuse of power, he stated.

“Forcefully naming someone a suspect in a criminal case, even without strong evidence, is an abuse of power, especially so if those in power are involved. It will be hugely problematic if President Jokowi is personally involved. As a friend, I really hope he isn’t doing that,” Yudhoyono said.

He also suggested that there was an attempt to “amputate” one of the parties that wished to nominate Anies as a presidential candidate, noting how such machinations were designed to force the electoral alliance to fall apart.

This is thought to be a reference to a petition filed in April by Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko to seek recognition for his claim to the leadership of the Democrats, which the Supreme Court had previously rejected.

The Democrats are in league with the NasDem Party, an erstwhile member of the ruling coalition who nominated Anies, as well as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

Should the takeover succeed and the Democrats withdraw their support for Anies, the coalition would not meet the legislative threshold to nominate a candidate.

“I believe that our people are currently divided between those who are pro-continuity and those who are pro-change […] It will become hugely problematic if there is not a single candidate pairing that represents the part of the electorate who favor change,” Yudhoyono wrote. “This will undermine a just and peaceful 2024 presidential election.”

The elder Yudhoyono, father of current Democrat chairman Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, has recently begun to throw his political weight again in public discourse.

Last week, he telegraphed an apparent dream that involved his longtime rival, PDI-P chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri, in what analysts believed to be an invitation to leave the political arena.

The Democratic Party has sought in recent months to leverage its support for Anies to secure a vice-presidential slot, but to no avail. This reportedly led the ruling coalition to try and persuade the Democrats to back out, although its politicians have since reiterated the party’s commitment.

Responding to Yudhoyono's claim, PDI-P politician Masinton Pasaribu urged the former president not to point fingers at others should Anies fail to get on the ballot.

“Do not blame the [wind] if an airplane fails to take off. The pilot may be incompetent or the plane damaged," Masinton told reporters on Tuesday.

Another member of the ruling coalition, the United Development Party (PPP), welcomed the publication but noted that any allegations contained in it were not supported by facts.

“If everything is based on rumors, this country will be in danger,” said PPP politician Achmad Baidowi.