REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SEMARANG -- A Democrat Party figure said here on Saturday he believed the party's prospects would continue to rise after the campaign period ends.
"We start with the electability standing at 10.6 percent. After the campaign it will rise," Pramono Edhie Wibowo, a member of the ruling party's board of patrons, said during a campaign rally here.
Pramono, a former army chief of staff, admitted that several surveys had predicted that the party's attraction for voters would collapse prior to the 2014 general elections.
A survey has even said that the party vote totals would dropped to only 4.7 percent.
Pramono said he had admitted in Bandung, about a month ago, that it would be unrealistic if the party would field a presidential candidate while receiving only 4.7 percent of the vote.
But he said he had also challenged the survey institute, asking that it that it close down if the party receives more votes than predicted.
"After that, no institute again said that the party's electability has dropped to only 4.7 percent. Before the current campaign period, the party's electability had reached 10.6 percent," Pramono said.
The prediction of declining popularity of the party emerged because of the involvement of some party cadres in corruption cases.
"We have learned from the mistakes made by Democrat Party cadres. Indeed, some cadres have made mistakes, but their numbers are not many. Those who commit crimes must take the responsibility," he said.
Pramono added that the Democrat Party would never defend their cadres who committed crimes, because they have signed a written agreement that they are not allowed to violate laws.
"We will defend those who are right, while those who are wrong must be punished. Why? It is because we have already made a written agreement that Democrat Party cadres may not violate laws," he said.
Pramono Edhie Wibowo is one of the participants in the party's convention for the nomination of its presidential candidate for the July 9 election.
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