The legends of '55, leaders to watch in 2005

The magnitude of the 1955 Bandung conference was, in part, due to the presence of Asian and African leaders who were legends in their own time. Who will shine at the 2005 summit?

Below are brief sketches of the legends of 1955 and the potential stars of this coming summit.

Legends of 1955

Sukarno

The Indonesian president was a fiery orator who could captivate an audience whenever he took the podium. His speech in Bandung's cavernous Gedung Merdeka in 1955 called the peoples of Asia and Africa "the majority" who should "inject the voice of reason into world affairs". Sukarno was, perhaps, the primary catalyst of the 1955 conference.

Jawaharlal Nehru

India's first prime minister drafted the document that evolved into the Bandung conference's 10-point principles. They embodied Nehru's passion for a non-aligned foreign policy and called for the settlement of international disputes by peaceful means.

Zhou Enlai

Communist China's first premier was not among the five organizers of the Bandung conference, but was a prominent player. Urbane and charming, he introduced the People's Republic of China to the world stage and assured participants it had no plans for expansion. Zhou yielded the Bandung spotlight to other leaders.

Gamal Abdul Nasser

Egypt's leader was one of the most important Arab leaders of the 20th century and a key player from Africa at the Bandung meeting. His penchant for decisive action against the West went down well with Sukarno and Nehru.

Norodom Sihanouk

The prince went to Bandung in 1955 as one of the youngest leaders amid the great revolutionaries of his time. He met China's Zhou Enlai and the Vietnamese delegate who assured him that Cambodia's bigger neighbors would respect its independence. Like other Bandung players, he had uneasy relations with the United States during the Cold War. He is the only one of the legendary Bandung leaders still alive.

Rising stars 2005

Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono

Indonesia's first ever democratically elected president is a model for countries emerging out of authoritarianism. Fully aware of the power of the media, he carries himself well in public. Though only in his sixth month as president, Susilo has been repeatedly thrust into the international spotlight and is accustomed to soaking up the limelight.

Thabo Mbeki

Co-chair of the summit. Handpicked by Nelson Mandela to succeed him as South African president in 1999, Mbeki is known as an independent and original thinker. Since then, he has emerged from Mandela's shadow to become one of the most respected and outspoken leaders on the African continent.

Manmohan Singh

The Indian Prime Minister is a member of Nehru's Congress party who only rose to power after Sonia Gandhi -- wife of Nehru's murdered grandson, Rajiv Gandhi -- declined to accept the post and continue the Nehru dynasty.

Hu Jintao

The 61-year-old Chinese premier is a pragmatist like his predecessor Zhou Enlai. But unlike his revolutionary predecessor, Hu was known as more of a technocrat before emerging from the shadows to take China's top jobs in 2002-2003. He has since built up his power and popularity by portraying himself as a man of the people.

Hamid Karzai

Elegant yet traditional, Karzai is no longer thought of as just another Afghan tribal leader. Karzai has attained iconic status with his trademark astrakhan hat and long coat embroidered in the national colors. He has many attributes, including six languages: his native Pashto, plus Dari, Hindi and Urdu as well as the two tongues of global diplomacy -- French and gently American- accented English.

Pervez Musharraf

The Pakistani president has been a man in the headlines due to his country's role as a frontline state in the war against terrorism. An eloquent militaryman, he along with his Indian counterpart are the leading figures in South Asia.

Olusegun Obasanjo

As chairman of the Organization of African Unity, the Nigeria leader's voice at the summit represents, to a large extent, that of the continent. He was first elected president of Africa's most populous nation in 1999, becoming the first civilian ruler in 15 years. --JP/Reuters