U.S. presumptive presidential candidate John McCain said on Sunday that the party would suspend most of the activities set on Monday, the first day of the National Convention, due to concerns on the Hurricane Gustav.
"Of course this is a time when we have to do away with most of our party politics," McCain told a news conference on Sunday broadcast live on TV. "We're going to suspend most of our activities except those that are absolutely necessary."
Republican National Committee chairman Mike Duncan also said at a press conference that the first day of the convention would be abbreviated and only carry out some basic business such as adopt rules, elect officers and adopt the party platform.
White House earlier said that President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney would skip the Republican National Convention where they were supposed to address because of the hurricane.
The White House is working on possible alternatives allowing Bush to make a speech at the convention, perhaps by video, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.
Dangerous Gustav has already killed more than 80 people in the Caribbean, and if current forecasts hold up, it would make landfall as early as Monday somewhere between the northeast corner of Texas and western Mississippi.
The Republican national convention was set to be held from Sept.1 to 4 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where McCain will officially accept the nomination.
McCain earlier urged all Americans to help those caught in the path of deadly Hurricane Gustav, which "American have always done in times of disaster and challenge."
The Republicans government led by President Bush are still haunted by the Hurricane "Katrina" that hit at the Gulf Coast region on Aug. 29, 2005, resulting in nearly 1,000 deaths and tens of thousands stranded for days without food or proper sanitation.
Source:Xinhua
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