Posted on 09/22/2002 7:45:04 AM PDT by RobFromGa
Election turnout probably smaller than 1998 | ||
Berlin/Rostock (dpa) - with the election to the Bundestag a smaller participation than before drew four years starting from 1998 lay it Germany far with 82,2 per cent in the late Sunday afternoon. However the returning officers reported high letter voter at the same time of a ratio. Everywhere the letter voters were not already taken in account. Thus a factor of uncertainty remained existing. As one inquires around approximately three hours before locking of the polling stations resulted in, to against 15.00 o'clock in most Lands of the Federal Republic a clearly lower election turnout was registered. In Saxonia-Anhalt the participation lay at this time approximately 15 points under the values of the yearly 1998, in other Lands of the Federal Republic up to eight points. Also in the capital went to Berlin with herbstlich to cool weather clearly less voter to the urns. On the other hand there was the tendency in few other Lands of the Federal Republic also to an easily higher election turnout - in such a way in Schleswig-Holstein and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where at the same time a new federal state parliament was selected. In Saxonia the returning officers spoke first of a surprisingly large resonance, then the interest decreased/went back however clearly. Also in Bavaria the choice encountered in the first hours in some cities a substantially larger interest than 1998. There the participation up to 12 per cent points in the comparison rose to the same time before four years. Against noon this tendency decreased/went back likewise, of a clear minus was later spoken. It was similar in North Rhine-Westphalia and Hamburg. From other Lands of the Federal Republic a rather weak resonance was determined. In Hessen, Thuringia, Saarland and Bremen the values decreased/went back. Also in Rhineland-Palatinate, Brandenburg and Lower Saxony the crush was smaller than 1998. In Baden-Wuerttemberg it meant: Election turnout constantly. The polling stations for the election to the Bundestag had opened o'clock punctually at 08.00. 61,2 million Federal citizen were called to select a new parliament. With the election of the federal parliament in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania were entitled to vote about 1.4 million citizen. After last inquiries and prognoses to the exit the SPD with Federal Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder was appropriate for the election to the Bundestag scarcely before the union with her candidate for the chancellorship Edmund Stoiber (CSU). Since also the smaller parties FDP and the Green were strongly estimated approximately in each case equal, the continuation of the red-green coalition was considered as uncertain. For a government majority in the parliament it could be crucial whether the Party of Democratic Socialism draws again into the Bundestag or not. The Social Democrats set to come into the proximity of their result from 1998 to. At that time they reached 40.9 per cent of the secondary voices. CDU/CSU had slipped before four years to 35,1 per cent, their secondaryworst result with elections to the Bundestag. The Greens reached 6.7 per cent, the FDP came on 6,2 per cent. The Party of Democratic Socialism overcame the five-per cent hurdle with 5,1 per cent scarcely. After last inquiries in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania a confirmation of the red-red coalition of SPD and Party of Democratic Socialism under head of the government Harald Ringstorff (SPD) applied as extremely probable. 1998 had the SPD 34.3, which reaches Party of Democratic Socialism 24.4 and the CDU 30.2 per cent. |
The Greens party, in coalition with the Social Democrats for the last four years, was polling at about 9 percent which could be decisive in helping Schroeder stay in power. Early returns showed the liberal Free Democrats, Stoiber's likely coalition partner, polling at 7 percent.
According to ZDF public television, the Social Democrats and Greens would win 300 seats to 297 for the Christian Democrats with their likely coalition partner, the liberal Free Democrats. Another public TV station, ARD, projected an even tighter race, with 299 seats for Schroeder's likely coalition and 298 for Stoiber's.
N-tv private television, using projections from the Forsa polling agency, gave 303 seats to a Social Democratic-Green coalition and 295 seats to the challengers.
Appearing confident, Schroeder told supporters at his party headquarters that the prospects appeared good to continue governing for another four years.
"This is suspenseful evening, a very suspenseful evening," Schroeder said. "A majority is a majority. If we have it, we will use it. We want to continue and it looks like we will be able to."
Stoiber was equally jubilant.
"One thing is already clear: We have won the election," Stoiber told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters. "The CDU, the great party of the center, is back. It is the biggest party in parliament. We will make what we can of this great result."
The Greens were elated by the strongest showing in their 22-year history. Greens leader Rezzo Schlauch said his party got momentum from the Iraq debate and the popularity of Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer. "We are so happy ... There was the issue of war and peace, and we have a highly competent foreign minister. It was a combination of the issues and the people in charge."
At the Social Democratic headquarters, party secretary general Franz Muentefering said his party would pursue a coalition with the Greens even under the narrowest of majorities.
"Coalitions are always difficult but we want to stay in power," Muentefering said.
The final days of the hotly contested race were overshadowed by tensions with the United States over Iraq, in particular by Justice Minister Herta Daeubler-Gmelin's reported
While Schroeder has resisted calls to force her resignation, a government official said he would not include the minister in his Cabinet if he wins re-election. The official spoke on condition of anonymity.
In a campaign already remarkable for straining relations with the United States because of Schroeder's emphatic opposition to American military action to oust Saddam Hussein ( news - web sites), Washington responded with anger to the remarks attributed to the justice minister.
Daeubler-Gmelin has denied drawing a direct comparison between Bush and Hitler. In a confused explanation, she initially said she had compared their methods, and later told reporters she had referred to diversionary tactics during a chaotic discussion, saying, "We know that from our history, since Adolf Nazi."
Despite attacks by Stoiber for undermining U.S.-German relations, Schroeder's anti-war stance resonated with Germans who overwhelmingly oppose a new Mideast conflict.
Schroeder's unusually harsh rhetoric along with his handling of Germany's catastrophic floods and strong performance in a televised debate helped him close the gap with the Bavarian governor, who led the polls for months by attacking Schroeder's economic record.
Voter turnout was running behind 1998, with official figures showing 42.8 percent of the more than 61 million voters casting ballots by 2 p.m., compared to 47 percent at the same hour four years ago.
Though the ruckus over the justice minister marred the final hours of his campaign, Schroeder appeared confident and smiled as he voted in his home city of Hanover. He declined to answer questions about the minister's fate, but admitted: "One is always a little nervous."
Stoiber has used the affair as ammunition, accusing the chancellor of whipping up emotions against the United States, Germany's staunchest ally, for electoral gain. Stoiber has pledged to repair the damage with Washington if elected.
On Iraq, Schroeder has insisted he would not commit troops for a war even if the United Nations ( news - web sites) backs military action. Like the chancellor, Stoiber opposes unilateral U.S. action, but he insists Germany must be ready to support any U.N.-backed action against Saddam though not with front-line troops.
Stoiber also wants faster tax cuts than Schroeder, especially for small and midsize businesses. He pledged to overturn a Schroeder law that widened the powers of labor unions in workplace decisions and to curb rising energy taxes. And he intends to scrap an immigration law passed under Schroeder that he says is too liberal.
With two big and three smaller parties competing Sunday, the Free Democrats could resume the kingmaker's role they played in most postwar governments.
The major party best able to form a stable coalition not necessarily the one with the most votes will lead the next government and parliament which will be downsized from 669 to 598 seats.
Schroeder, 58, has governed with the Greens since unseating Helmut Kohl in 1998 and ending 16 years of conservative rule.
Stoiber, 60, has embraced the Free Democrats as he ran for national office after governing Bavaria for nine years. But the pro-business party FDP refused to rule out a coalition with either party in hopes of replacing the Greens as third-strongest force.
Early returns indicated the ex-communist Party of Democratic Socialism failed to achieve the 5 percent of the vote necessary to enter parliament. They still could make it into parliament if candidates win three seats directly.
Germans cast two votes Sunday, one for a local candidate and one for a party. The party vote is critical because it determines the percentage of seats each party wins in the Bundestag, or parliament.
To enter parliament, parties must either win 5 percent of the vote or at least three seats directly.
Before election 2002,
German Left (SPD+Green+PDS) had 377 seats (57%)
German Right (CDU/CSU+FDP) had 288 seats (43%)
with one Independent for a total of 666 (nice number, Adolf)
After election 2002, it's a virtual dead heat.
Maybe some progress was made today in Germany.
Lani? Lani Guiniere, is that you?
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