Pope Benedict calls for open society during Cuba visit

Pope Benedict XVI has urged Cubans to build an "open and renewed society", at the start of the first papal visit to the communist-run country in 14 years.

At a Mass in front of some 200,000 people in the eastern city of Santiago, he called for a "renewed society".

The Pontiff was welcomed by President Raul Castro who said the country enjoyed good relations with the Church.

His visit marks the 400th anniversary of Cuba's patron saint, the Virgin of Charity of El Cobre.

The icon - also known as the Mambisa Virgin - was found floating in a bay in 1612 by fishermen and was revered by Cuba's independence heroes.

'Dignity'

"Devotion to the Virgin Mambisa has sustained the faith and inspired the defence and promotion of all that gives dignity to the human condition and fundamental rights," the Pope said on his arrival in the country, where Roman Catholics now account for 10% of the population.

"I carry in my heart the just aspirations and legitimate desires of all Cubans, wherever they may be, their sufferings and their joys, their concerns and their noblest desires," he said.

He added that he was convinced that the country "at this moment of particular importance in its history" was "looking to the future" and "striving to renew and broaden its horizons".

President Castro was seated in the front row of the Mass in Cuba's second largest city as believers sang hymns and prayed in Santiago's Revolution Square.

The Pope appealed to the audience to reinvigorate their faith "that you may strive to build a renewed and open society, a better society, one more worthy of humanity".

Before the Mass, one man was arrested after shouting: "Down with communism". Others in the audience booed him for spoiling the atmosphere and shouted: "Cuba, Cuba, Cuba".

'Renew horizons'

Ahead of his visit, Pope Benedict had suggested Cuba's Marxist structure "no longer corresponds to reality" and called for the adoption of a "new model".

But on his arrival, he recognised Cuba's efforts to "renew and broaden its horizons".

In his speech at the airport, President Castro said socialist Cuba allowed full freedom of religion and enjoyed good relations with the Catholic Church.

He said Cuba shared the Pope's concerns over global poverty, inequality and environmental destruction.

And he stressed that Cuba was determined to defend its independence in the face of the US embargo.

Both leaders looked back to the visit by the late Pope John Paul II 14 years ago, which Pope Benedict said "was like a gentle breeze that gave new strength to the Church in Cuba".

Observers say relations between Church and state have warmed in Cuba in recent years.

Raul Castro has accepted the Church's mediation on issues such as political prisoners, recognising its position as the most influential organisation outside the communist government.

The Pope's visit is seen as an effort to further improve relations and increase the role of the church in Cuban society at a time of rapid change.

The Pope is expected to travel to Havana later for private talks with President Castro and will celebrate Mass in the capital's Revolution Square on Wednesday.

Church officials have said there is no time in his schedule to meet dissidents.

Opposition groups say dozens of dissidents were detained ahead of the visit, and others were prevented from attending the service in Santiago.

Pope Benedict's trip to Cuba follows a visit to Mexico, where he celebrated a huge open-air Mass at the Christ the King monument in the central city of Silao.

He urged the 500,000 Catholics gathered for the sermon to look to their faith in response to poverty and crime and to reject violence and revenge.

Jamaica: PNP AGAIN! Governing party thumps JLP in Local Gov’t Elections

THE ruling People’s National Party (PNP) demolished the Opposition Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) in yesterday’s Local Government Elections, taking 12 of the 13 parish councils, among them the prized Kingston and St Andrew Corporation in the capital city.

The governing party also won the Portmore Municipal Council and saw its candidate George Lee unseating the Jamaica Labour Party’s (JLP’s) Keith Hinds in the island’s only mayoral race.

The Trelawny Parish Council ended in a tie.

This was the second time in three months that the PNP was celebrating, having crushed the JLP 42-21 seats in parliamentary elections last December.

But yesterday’s poll was characterised by a low voter turnout of 34.5 per cent, according to the Electoral Office of Jamaica, a significant drop from the 53 per cent voter turnout in the December election.

The victory represented a reversal of fortunes for the PNP which won only three of the 13 councils in the 2007 Local Government polls.

In yesterday’s elections, the PNP took 149 of the 228 divisions. The JLP won 77, while two divisions went to independents — Lester Crooks (Riverside in Hanover) and Paul Patmore (Lorrimers in Trelawny).

Early yesterday afternoon, Opposition Leader Andrew Holness, in what appeared like a premature concession statement, expressed concern at the lack of voter interest in the elections, describing it as a threat to democracy.

“In a low voter turnout environment, the winning party only needs to use national resources to take care of the small portion of the electorate that votes for them and possibly placate the portion of the electorate that votes against them,” Holness said.

“This is the recipe for staying in power. However, without an engaged citizenry, oversight and accountability for government action are weak. Eventually governments stray from the best interest of all the people to focus on the interests of the party faithful.

“Government is therefore captured by political elite serving a voting minority. This is a threat to our democracy. I am concerned,” said Holness, who also recommended that the phenomenon of low voter turnout in elections be studied carefully.

Last night, at exactly 10 o’clock, a beaming Portia Simpson Miller, the prime minister and PNP president, told jubilant supporters at PNP headquarters on Old Hope Road in Kingston that local government is critical to the development of Jamaica and to ensure the delivery of services to communities.

“We have done it again,” she told the crowd, many of whom began celebrating a mere hour after the polls were closed yesterday and long before the Electoral Office of Jamaica had officially declared a victory for the governing party.

Not even the persistent raindrops could dampen the spirits of the supporters who immediately got into party mode as they awaited the address from the party leader.

“We are humbled by your support, and [I am] personally humbled by the support as I moved across the country working in the wee hours,” she added.

The opposition leader, she said, asked for a referendum and he got one on December 29 and another last night.

In an obvious reference to the JLP’s campaign slogan for the Local Government Elections, Simpson Miller said the people of Jamaica have “balanced the ting” by forming a union of local and central government.

“Now elections are behind us, the Government can settle down to face the challenges and they are many,” Simpson Miller said.

She wasted no time getting down to business as she introduced councillor for the Norman Gardens Division and vice-president of the party, Angela Brown Burke, as the next mayor of Kingston.

Simpson Miller also challenged the councillors to be accountable and responsible.

“There must be accountability, and they must operate in a responsible way,” she said.

Jamaica Observer