Bottom-up convention and spirit

Bottom-up convention and spirit

For a number of political parties, their presidential
candidates are no longer shrouded in mystery.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan)
for instance, is obviously renominating Megawati Soekarnoputri,
who has no other rival within the party.

The question of the National Mandate Party's (PAN)
presidential candidate has also been answered -- none other than
its chairman, Amien Rais.

How about the Nation's Awakening Party (PKB)? Its chairman,
Abdurrahman Wahid, is rumored to have the ambition to become
president again.

As for the United Development Party (PPP), its chairman,
Hamzah Haz, would surely be nominated.

However, Golkar Party's presidential candidate until now is
unknown.

Through a recent convention, the party made a breakthrough by
netting its possible presidential candidates from the bottom.

As a result, seven names have emerged -- Surya Paloh, Wiranto,
Aburizal Barkrie, Akbar Tandjung, Jusuf Kalla, Prabowo Subianto,
and Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X. Who among them would be the
party's final candidate however remains a big question.

Thus before it is too late, the political elite should change
its orientation by keeping the bottom-up spirit rather than the
top-down one. -- Media Indonesia, Jakarta

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Otherop-VAtican-AIDS
On the Vatican and AIDS
JP/6/ops

On the Vatican and AIDS

The extremely reactionary attitude of the modern Roman
Catholic Church has reached even higher realms of incredulity
with its claims about condoms in the fight against AIDS. The
Vatican strictly opposes birth control and hence also the use of
condoms, and the stance has merely hardened during the tenure of
Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, who heads the Pontifical
Council for the Family, told the British Broadcasting Corp. that
the HIV virus is able to pass through "the net" formed by a
condom.

In developing countries people listen to the teachings of the
Vatican in a totally different way than in developed Catholic
countries, and the irresponsible comments by church leaders
simply strengthens other similarly superstitious beliefs about
this plague of our time.

The spread of the Catholic Church's teachings has led to
tragic consequences in all countries where it wields influence.
AIDS is causing terrible havoc on all the continents.

-- Helsingin Sanomat, Helsinki, Finland

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The troubles of the Anglican Church
JP/6/ops

The troubles of the Anglican Church

As the leaders of the global Anglican church meet in London
today on gay relationships, they poignantly do so conscious of
the massive weight that falls on their shoulders to find a
practical solution that will stave off a potential split now
threatening the 77-million member church.

Along with the Anglican community throughout the world, we
pray that God bestows upon these leaders biblical Solomon's
wisdom to calm the rumblings that have shaken the foundations of
the church. In doing so, we earnestly hope that -- throughout the
deliberations -- the church leaders will remain unshakable in
their resolve to do the right thing.

-- Sowetan, Johannesburg, South Africa