GERMANY: Germany's general election finally ended with a win for the Christian Democrats (CDU) last night after a delayed poll in Dresden, as political leaders geared up for a decisive week of political horse-trading in Berlin.
Angela Merkel's conservatives extended their lead over German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder's Social Democrats to four parliamentary seats after the vote, the chief election official said.
The conservatives have won 226 seats in the Bundestag lower house and the SPD 222 seats, according to the official provisional result including central Dresden.
The rain failed to keep people away from the ballot boxes yesterday with the turnout put at 72 per cent minutes before polls closed.
The CDU in Dresden said the result would give party leader Angela Merkel a "tailwind" and break the two-week coalition deadlock since the general election left the CDU and SPD without a majority in their preferred coalitions.
"It's a psychological vote to give a boost to Dr Merkel and weaken Mr Schröder," said Andreas Lämmel, the CDU Dresden candidate.
The SPD and CDU will hold their third round of exploratory talks in Berlin on Wednesday. Despite finishing second in the general election, SPD leader Franz Müntefering has so far backed Chancellor Schröder's determination to stay on as leader.
Mr Müntefering dismissed reports over the weekend that he is prepared to take up a position as vice-chancellor under Dr Merkel and said the Dresden vote would have no influence over Mr Schröder's future.
"We are of the opinion that . . . the best solution would be if such a government were led by Gerhard Schröder," said Mr Müntefering on national radio.
"The country needs a stable government, one that is built for four years."
A new poll yesterday suggested 28 per cent of Germans want to see Mr Schröder stay in office, while 29 per cent favour Dr Merkel.
But 43 per cent of those surveyed said they would prefer neither of the two, or had no opinion on who should lead Germany's new government.
CDU general secretary Volker Kauder said the result was a "reinforcement of the position of Angela Merkel" to lead Germany.
The leader of the liberal Free Democrats, Guido Westerwelle, said: "Mr Schröder has to realise that his time has run out."
After a bitter election campaign, the CDU and SPD party leaders have found uncommonly warm words for each other in the last days.
"One can work with Franz Müntefering in a precise, uncomplicated and dependable" way, said Dr Merkel to Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
Meanwhile, Bavarian state premier Edmund Stoiber gave his strongest signal yet last night that he was prepared to move to Berlin and work to balance the federal budget.
"I think I can bring great experience to the job," said Mr Stoiber, pointing out Bavaria is expected to present a balanced budget.