The US Democrats opened their quadrennial national convention here on Monday, to nominate the party's presidential and vice presidential candidates to challengePresident George W. Bush in the November elections.

The convention was opened with a speech by Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the Democratic National Committee. Among the featured speakers on Monday night were former Vice President Al Gore, former President Bill Clinton and former President Jimmy Carter.

With more than 4,000 delegates and some 15,000 Democratic officials and dignitaries gathering at the FleetCenter for the four-day event, the party was trying to help American voters know more about John Kerry, who was to be nominated on Wednesday and accept the nomination on Thursday.

The convention would focus on a Kerry-Edwards plan for America's future - a comprehensive agenda to build an America that is "stronger at home and respected in the world."

Party leaders were stressing unity in the party and the need totopple Bush.

"The overriding objective to elect John Kerry and John Edwards -- and defeat George Bush -- has united Democrats from all ends of the political spectrum. I have never seen it or felt as strongly as I do this year," Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York said Monday.

Security was tight around the facility, with bomb-sniffing dogsat checkpoints and Secret Service members and other law enforcement agencies patrolling the streets and rooftops.

A helicopter and two airplanes have reportedly violated airspace restrictions surrounding the Democratic National Convention since the restrictions went into effect at 7 a.m. (local time) Monday, but Federal Aviation Administration officials said they did not believe any of the pilots intended harm.

A CNN/USA Today/Gallup poll conducted Monday through Wednesday last week showed this year's presidential race remained essentially tied between Bush and Kerry, with Kerry getting 47 percent of the support and Bush, 46 percent.

Independent candidate Ralph Nader was backed by 4 percent. Among registered voters, 47 percent supported Kerry, 43 percent supported Bush, and 5 percent supported Nader.

The poll found that a 6-percentage-point bounce that Kerry enjoyed after choosing North Carolina Senator John Edwards as his running mate early this month has slipped. Ten days ago, the Kerry-Edwards ticket received 50 percent of the support against 45 percent for a Bush-Cheney ticket.

With the convention, Kerry is expected enjoy another "bounce" of perhaps as much as 5 to 7 percentage points in the projected vote, reports said.

Source: Xinhua