Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 19, 1990 TAG: 9003192559
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: EAST BERLIN LENGTH: Long
However, the Alliance for Germany fell short of winning a majority in the new 400-member Parliament.
The elections marked the first free balloting in East Germany's 41-year history and capped the transition to democracy since the fall revolution that ended one-party Communist rule.
The results will help set the pace of unification, which only became possible following the democratic changes across Eastern Europe last year.
The Alliance for Germany defeated the leftist-leaning Social Democrats, who only a few weeks ago were considered the front-runners. The alliance has received strong support from West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl's governing party.
The final official returns, announced early today by election commission chairwoman Petra Blaess, gave the alliance 48 percent of the popular vote and 193 seats in the parliament. The Christian Democrats, who led the alliance, alone gained 41 percent of the vote for 164 seats.
The Social Democrats received 22 percent and 87 seats. The reformed Communists finished as the third-strongest individual party with 16 percent and 65 seats.
The conservative alliance could gain the extra margin for a majority from the centrist Liberal alliance, which won 21 seats.
A variety of other parties won the remaining spots. There were 24 parties or organizations competing for seats in the parliament, which is to hold office for a four-year term.
Commentators in East Germany and West Germany agreed Kohl played a key role in helping the conservatives win by promising quick replacement of East Germany's nearly worthless currency with the West German mark and other financial benefits. Kohl also campaigned extensively on behalf of the alliance.
"It was a victory for Kohl," West Germany's ARD television network said.
"I just want to celebrate," Lothar de Maiziere, head of the Christian Democrats, said at his party's headquarters. He was viewed as the top contender to become East Germany's first democratically elected premier.
After the voting, he said a "grand coalition" with the Social Democrats and other parties was possible to lead the country toward unification with the greatest possible popular support.
He said a broad coalition also was needed to muster the two-thirds parliamentary majority necessary to change East Germany's constitution and pave the way for quick reunification. With such a majority, the East German parliament could simply declare a merger with West Germany.
De Maiziere also promised his party would strive for quick economic, monetary and social union with West Germany.
Kohl also voiced support for a broad coalition.
"The German citizens have decided against every form of extremism," he said at a news conference in Bonn, the West German capital. "Most important, they want to follow a path, together with West Germany, that will lead to unification."
Gregor Gysi, chairman of the reformed Communist Party, immediately offered support to the Social Democrats to prevent the conservatives from gaining a two-thirds parliamentary majority.
The current caretaker government is led by a Communist, Hans Modrow. He and Gysi had proved surprisingly popular during the campaign as they tried to shed their party's hard-line image.
The election came five months to the day after hard-line Communist leader Erich Honecker was toppled in the country's peaceful revolution.
A roaring crowd of 2,000 supporters jammed the conservative alliance's headquarters late Sunday, waving party banners and West German flags and drinking and dancing.
"As quickly as possible, unification!" Dieter Schloder said. "There is no question about it."
In Washington, the White House saluted the election. "We have long supported the aspirations of the people of East Germany to decide their own future through a freely elected parliament and government," said White House deputy press secretary Alixe Glen.
Virtually all the parties favored unification with West Germany, but at different paces.
About 12.2 million people were eligible to vote, and some districts reported 80 percent turnout by midday.
People lined up at polling stations in cities as well as makeshift voting booths in rural pubs and eateries. Some people cast ballots from hospital beds.
"This is the greatest day of my life after being put down all these years," whispered 66-year-old Annelisa Schoen, choking back tears of joy as she voted in East Berlin.
Some voters seemed a bit perplexed by the huge selection that included such contenders as the Beer Drinker's Party.
"We have nothing we can draw from, no experience with the new parties that we can use as a measure. There's no way we can know if we are voting for the right person," said Christel Wilke, a poll supervisor in Schoenwalde, 18 miles north of Berlin.
by CNB