GERMANY: VOTERS IN BERLIN CAST VOTES IN A BALLOT THET COULD GIVE THE COMMUNISTS A SHARE OF POWER IN THE CITY
Record ID:
328677
GERMANY: VOTERS IN BERLIN CAST VOTES IN A BALLOT THET COULD GIVE THE COMMUNISTS A SHARE OF POWER IN THE CITY
- Title: GERMANY: VOTERS IN BERLIN CAST VOTES IN A BALLOT THET COULD GIVE THE COMMUNISTS A SHARE OF POWER IN THE CITY
- Date: 21st October 2001
- Summary: (W5)BERLIN, GERMANY (OCTOBER 21, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LAS EXTERIOR SCHOOL USED AS POLLING STATION; FAMILY ENTERING POLLING STATION 0.02 2. SLV VOTERS STANDING IN LINE 0.12 3. SV MAN GETTING REGISTERED FOR VOTING 0.20 4. SV OFFICIALS SEATED 0.24 5. CU OF BALLOT 0.28 6. CU BALLOT CAST 0.32 7. SV KLAUS WOWEREIT, ACTING MAYOR AND CANDIDATE FROM CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER'S SOCIAL DEMOCRATS (SPD), ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION IN SCHOOL 0.38 8. MCU PHOTOGRAPHERS TAKING PICTURES 0.41 9. SV/MCU/CU WOWEREIT CASTING BALLOT; SHAKING HANDS WITH OFFICIAL (3 SHOTS) 0.57 10. MCU MAN HOLDING A CHILD 1.00 11. SV WOWEREIT SURROUNDED BY JOURNALISTS 1.05 12. MCU (German) KLAUS WOWEREIT, ACTING BERLIN MAYOR, SAYING: "I am all relaxed and will go home now. This afternoon, I'm going to have coffee in the city centre where I will have a beautiful view over Berlin and later, I will go to the House of Representatives." 1.19 13. SLV EXTERIOR ANOTHER SCHOOL USED AS POLLING STATION 1.23 14. SV KATJA STEFFEL, WIFE OF CDU CANDIDATE FRANK STEFFEL, ARRIVING; FOLLOWED BY FRANK STEFFEL, CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT (CDU) CHALLENGER 1.33 15. SV FRANK STEFFEL AND WIFE GOING TO VOTING BOOTH (2 SHOTS) 1.43 16. SV FRANK AND KATJA STEFFEL GOING TO BALLOT BOX 1.55 17. CU VAMERAMAN 1.58 18. SV KATJA STEFFEL CASTING BALLOT 2.04 19. MCU/SV FRANK STEFFEL CASTING BALLOT (2 SHOTS) 2.22 20. SV GREGOR GYSI, CANDIDATE FOR EX-COMMUNIST PARTY OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM (PDS), ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION 2.35 21. MCU CAMERAMAN 2.39 22. SV/MCU GYSI CASTING BALLOT (2 SHOTS) 3.15 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 5th November 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: BERLIN, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Reuters ID: LVA8G37GS9ZWN03DFBM3GJGEQKIY
- Story Text: Voters in Berlin began casting votes on Sunday in a
ballot that could give the communists that built the Wall a
share of power in the city, and is expected to strengthen
Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's hold on power.
The weather was cold and overcast on Sunday (October
21), but there was no rain to deter the city's 2.48 million
eligible voters from venturing into polling stations.
It is one of the last big regional votes before the
September 2002 general election, and a key test of sentiment
almost six weeks after the attacks on the United States.
Opinion polls indicate Schroeder's Social Democrats will
emerge the winners, reflecting the chancellor's mounting
popularity over tough security measures implemented in
response to the September 11 attacks on New York and
Washington.
According to opinion polls, Acting Mayor Klaus Wowereit, a
local politician from Schroeder's Social Democrats (SPD), will
be confirmed in office with an 11 point gain to 33 per cent.
The SPD pulled out of a coalition with the conservatives in
June.
Wowereit was unknown in Germany until he gained national
fame by outing himself as homosexual at a party conference.
Schroeder's conservative opponents, the Christian
Democrats, (CDU) are expected to be hit, because they are
tainted by sleaze in Berlin and are generally believed to have
the weakest candidate for mayor.
Frank Steffel, the Christian Democrat challenger, is
expected to get 25 per cent, a drop of around 15 points which
could hurt the party at national level.
Berlin's previous conservative-led government collapsed in
June when mayor Eberhard Diepgen lost a vote of no confidence
in the city state parliament over sleaze charges, bringing
forward an election that was not due until 2004.
The Social Democrats have not ruled out a coalition with
the ex-communist Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), which
succeeded the party that ruled East Germany for 40 years, if
they cannot get a majority with the Greens or liberals.
But resentment against the PDS remains strong, especially
in west Berlin, and their inclusion in government would
provoke nationwide criticism, particularly among
conservatives.
Polling stations close at 1600 GMT and the main television
networks will broadcast exit polls at that time.
Security precautions are tight because of the worldwide
anthrax scare following the attacks on September 11. Police
issued protective gloves and breathing masks to 3,000 election
workers handling postal votes after a number of false anthrax
alarms in Germany recently.
Sunday's vote may result in the ex-communist party that
built the Berlin Wall entering the city government after a
campaign that, ironically, focused on uniting the city.
Gregor Gysi is a candidate for the ex-communist Party of
Democratic Socialism (PDS).
- Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None