At nine o'clock sharp, the party chieftains met in John Major's room.

The party chieftains bowed, the President read the eulogy over Deng's cremated ashes and, then, after six days of mourning, China went back to work.

(front page, Aug. 9): One of the features of modern presidential campaigns is that voters, rather than the largely irrelevant party chieftains, pick their party's nominee.

"The regional party chieftain of the Archipelago, one of our most populated regions."

He's got hundreds of superdelegates - party chieftains and other assorted big shots - already committed to him, with hundreds more ready to get on board.

He was also the party chieftain, and could guarantee her a free ride-without a primary contest-to the Democratic nomination in a state where she had never lived.

That said, he has been an extraordinary chief judge, who has used his public stature to wrest control of this court from the party chieftains, transforming it into a respected judicial body.

He vowed not to prohibit the parties, but said his proposals called for "direct participation of the citizenry instead of the traditional elitist dialogue of party chieftains and union bosses."

When a congressman runs afoul of his party chieftains, he can expect retribution on Election Day.

Angry crowds have forced the ouster of party chieftains in several cities after they were caught enjoying special housing, private cars, scarce food and other privileges beyond the reach of the average Russian.