TWO old friends met at the Conrad Hotel in late April. They were Taufiq Kiemas and Surya Paloh, both of whom were holidaying there at the time. It was here at this five-star hotel in Tokyo that they became absorbed in discussion over the future of the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P). The two big parties were placed in first and second place in the 2004 General Elections.

Taufiq Kiemas and Surya Paloh both hol