Kiel, Germany - Chancellor Angela Merkel's party
consolidated its lead in Germany Monday, with a provincial premier,
Peter Harry Carstensen, ejecting the ailing Social Democrats from his
government in Schleswig-Holstein state.
Merkel and Carstensen's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has a big
lead in opinion polls and is expected to emerge as Germany's
paramount party at the general election on September 27. Carstensen
aims to hold a snap election on that same day.
The premier said he had sacked the four Social Democrat (SPD)
ministers in his cabinet as a prelude to a legislative vote this
Thursday expected to terminate the state government's rule.
'Personally, it was a difficult thing to do,' said the premier
after sending dismissal notices to the four.
Earlier in the day, the SPD had voted against him in the state
assembly when he moved for a dissolution of parliament and fresh
polls.
The state, which borders on Denmark, was not due to hold an
election till May next year.
Merkel rules at national level as well with help from the SPD.
She now hopes the Social Democrats will suffer a defeat
nationally, allowing her to form a new federal alliance with a
smaller party, the pro-business Free Democrats (FDP), while
CDU premiers rule a majority of the states.
Carstensen formed his own coalition with the SPD in 2005. The
Christian Democrats have chafed in alliances with the SPD, saying
they are often unable to push through centre-right policies.
Recently the two parties have quarrelled over a plan to rescue
Schleswig Holstein's state bank, HSH Nordbank.
The CDU first moved the dissolution of the Schleswig-Holstein
assembly, but failed to win the necessary two-thirds support at the
session in the state capital Kiel.
The premier then initiated a different procedure, a vote of no
confidence. The SPD and the opposition are committed to voting
against him in that vote on Thursday, so that his government will
fall.
Once that happens, Carstensen will have the power to call a state
election, ruling till poll day as a caretaker.
Education Minister Ute Erdsiek-Rave, a Social Democrat, voiced
resentment at her dismissal, saying it had been 'undignified.' She
and Lothar Hay (interior), Uwe Doering (justice) and Gitta
Trauernicht (social policy) had to clear their desks by midnight.
Many pollsters expect the CDU to emerge as Germany's sole large
party at this year's general election, with national support for the
Social Democrats, formerly Germany's other natural party of power,
collapsing to little more than 20 per cent.
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