Brandt’s party makes gains

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32563, 24 March 1971, Page 21

Brandt’s party makes gains

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) MAINZ, March 23. The Opposition Christian Democrats have won an absolute majority in the Rhineland-Palatinate State Parliament, but the Social Democrats, led by the Chancellor (Mr Brandt) have been given a measure of confidence by their first local election gains in 18 months.

The final results give the Christian Democrats 50 per cent of the vote and 53 of the 100 seats in the State Parliament, a gain of 3.3 per cent and four seats. The Social Democrats gained 3.7 per cent increase over the 1967 figure for a total of 40.5 per cent of the vote, and they increased their number of seats from 39 to 44.

The Free Democratic Party led by the Foreign Minister (Mr Walter Scheel) dropped from 8.3 per cent to 5.9 per cent to 5.9 per cent, and retained only three of its eight seats. The Right-wing National Democrats suffered another local loss, their four seats being surrendered when their percentage fell from 6.9 per cent to 2.7 per cent. Five per cent is needed to seat deputies. f ■

The Communist Party, running in its first RhinelandPalatinate election, polled only .9 per cent of the vote.

Just over two million of the state’s 2.6 million voters wents to the polls. For Minister President Helmut Khol his post is equivalent to a state governorship the result is a personal triumph; it has increased his national stature as a contender for the Christian Democratic Party’s leadership. But Mr Brandt’s Social Democrats, who have lost votes in seven local elections since he became head of the Bonn coalition Government in October, 1969, can also take heart from their gains which show public endorsement of Mr Brandt’s domestic and foreign policies, including his efforts to improve relations with the Soyiet bloc.