Custom cabinet builder
Munich - Legislators in the German state of Bavaria elected a new premier, Horst Seehofer, 59, on Monday after the party he leads, the Christian Social Union (CSU), lost its absolute majority at the polls.
He comfortably won the vote by a 104-71 margin, though four members of the new state coalition, comprising the CSU and the small pro-business Free Democrat Party (FDP), did not vote for him.
The election marks the end of a 46-year era when the CSU, sister party to Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union, ruled the prosperous southern state alone.
Seehofer had resigned as German minister of agriculture and consumer affairs earlier Monday so he could take on the new post. Chancellor Angela Merkel has not announced yet who will replace him in her federal cabinet.
Commentators said that as farm minister over the past years, he had notably managed to calm farmers' anger over weak milk prices and EU policy, although milk prices still remain low.
As Bavarian premier he is expected to wield considerable weight in national politics.
An accord was signed Monday with the FDP, which won seats in the Bavarian state assembly in a September 28 poll for the first time in 14 years, and is take over the economy and science ministries.
The two parties plan to partly relax a strict ban on smoking in bars, which was blamed by many for the CSU's loss of one third of its traditional support at the state election
At least 11 women were treated for injuries after being beaten by the police and 47 were arrested, according to the Women's Coalition of Zimbabwe.
It is the women of this country who have to carry the burden of the suffering, coalition spokeswoman Emilia Chawa said.
Police also broke up a protest by around 100 students, who were also calling for a September power-sharing deal to be quickly implemented so that schooling, which has ground to a halt, can resume.
South African President Kgalema Motlanthe, his predecessor Thabo Mbeki, who is mediating in Zimbabwe, and senior Swazi and Angolan officials held talks Monday with Mugabe and Tsvangirai amid fears Tsvangirai's MDC could pull out of the deal.
Four days of talks between Tsvangirai and Mugabe recently ended in deadlock over the formation of a cabinet.
Arthur Mutambara, leader of a minority faction of Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), was also involved in the talks.
The MDC accuses Mugabe of keeping all the most important ministries for his Zanu-PF party. The dispute is centred on control of the home affairs ministry, which the MDC is demanding, but Zanu-PF is reluctant to relinquish.
Monday's meeting takes place a week after Tsvangirai boycotted a first meeting of the Southern African Development Community sub-group on security, on the basis that Mugabe regime's refuses to to renew his passport.
MDC members say privately the MDC was unhappy with a report Mbeki, who has shown bias towards Mugabe, had compiled on the situation
Blog Archives:
Scooters mopeds
Roketa moped
Cabinet hardware hinge
Asthma and kids
Disney princess shirt
Vinyl tile floor
Cabinet drawer pull
Wood floor tile
Asthma treatment guidelines
Modern medicine cabinets
Care bear shirts
Painting bathroom tiles

<< Home