How can you ask for three ministerial posts when you plan to be in opposition? That sarcastic comment came from Matori Abdul Djalil, sacked chief of the National Awakening Party (PKB). And it was clearly directed to his erstwhile colleagues.

Matori says he was approached to act as a mediator with President Megawati Sukarnoputri to ensure PKB could get seats in her cabinet. Publicly PKB has spurned Megawati's offer to bury the hatchet. But