Her conservative CDU/CSU alliance has won 32.5% of the vote, remaining the largest party in Germany’s parliament, according to the ARD poll.

Its coalition partner, the social democratic SPD, has gained 20%.

Meanwhile, the AfD, a right-wing nationalist, anti-Islam party, was on track to win 13.5%, emerging as Germany’s third-strongest party.

Addressing supporters, Mrs Merkel said she hoped for a “better result” and talked about “extraordinary challenges”.

She added that she would listen to the “concerns and anxieties” of AfD voters in other to regain them.

The numbers mean that the SPD, led by Martin Schulz, has fallen to a new post-World War Two low.

Mr Schulz said the result was the end of the “grand coalition” with Mrs Merkel’s alliance.

“It’s a difficult and bitter day for social democrats in Germany. We haven’t reached our objective,” he told supporters.

AfD’s performance, better than what opinion polls had forecast, means that the right-wing party will have a seat at the Bundestag for the first time.

The party’s leader, Frauke Petry, said on Twitter (in German) that Germany has experienced an incomparable “political earthquake”.

The exit poll put the Liberal FDP with 10.5%; the Greens with 9.5% and the Die Linke (The Left) with 9%.

Mrs Merkel will now have to search for new coalition partners – a process that could take months.

–

Source: BBC

The post Germany elections: Merkel wins fourth term appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Mr. Mac Manu, the honorary Chairman of the Democratic Union of Africa (DUA), will be joining the Election Observer Mission of the International Democratic Union (IDU).

This comes after he was denied entry into Kenya to observe the East African Country’s elections in August.

“Hon Peter Mac Manu will observe some of the rallies and also have firsthand experience on how the Germans’ conduct their political rallies in recent times. Further, Mr. Mac Manu would have the opportunity to tour some polling stations across some of the 299 voting districts to observe voting conduct in Munich voting district,” A statemetn from the DUA said.

German Chancellor, Angela Merkel is seeking re-election for the fourth time on the ticket of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU),

Martin Schulz of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) is her main opponent in the election.

Find below  the full statement

MAC MANU TO OBSERVE GERMAN 2017 GENERAL ELECTION

Peter Mac Manu, Honorary Chairman of the Democratic Union of Africa (DUA), an affiliate of the International Democratic Union (IDU), joins, the Election Observer Mission of IDU to witness the Germany’s elections to the Bundestag scheduled for Sunday, 24th September 2017. Mr. Mac Manu is also former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its 2016 National Campaign Manager for Ghana’s Presidential/ Parliamentary elections.

Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel is seeking re-election for the 4th time leading the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the CSU in a coalition with Martin Schulz of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) as her main opponent. Other parties include the Free Democratic Party (FDP) and the left’s Alternative for German (AfD) which is led by Sahra Wagenknecht and Dietmar Bartsch.

The elections are taking place in all the 299 voting districts across the country. The German’s electoral architecture is transparent and analog – voters are only allowed to vote with pen and paper and not with digital voting machines. All counting takes place by hand in the 70,000 or so voting locations and counting is open to the public.

Hon Peter Mac Manu will observe some of the rallies and also have firsthand experience on how the Germans’ conduct their political rallies in recent times. Further, Mr. Mac Manu would have the opportunity to tour some polling stations across some of the 299 voting districts to observe voting conduct in Munich voting district.

Final results of the German elections are expected to be announced by midnight of Sunday, 24th September 2017. The party or the coalition bloc that win the most seats in the Bundestag will have the mandate to form government.

It is our hope that lessons learnt from the observation will help shape and increase our understanding of campaigning, electoral processes and benefit Ghana’s electoral reforms.

…Signed…

Hon Charles Owiredu

Secretary General

DUA

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonnline.com/Ghana

The post Mac Manu to observe German elections appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.