NIPPED in the bud. That is an apt description of what happened to the planned unification of smaller Islamic political parties in Indonesia. The plan flopped over a trivial matter.

Originally seven parties—Nahdlatul Ummah Party, Ummah Welfare Party, PPII Masyumi, Indonesian Islamic Unity Party (PSII), Indonesian Islamic Party, and Islamic Welfare Party (PAS)—were to meet last Friday with the Daulatul Ummah Party (PDU), a fusion of