Well, after re-ordering the definitions of map icons inside module_map_icons.py, now some of the missing icons have smaller IDs (<255) and they show up on the strategic map. In contrast, parties with those icons pushed beyond ID= 255 now disappear from the map.
all these new parties are static eye-candy type things, I didn't change the order of the parties, so it is unlikely due to party ID of the neutral faction.
It gets quite annoying...
Does using python 2.6 under 64 bit ubuntu cause any compilation oddities? Happens under both MS1.143 and MS 1.153.