German Communist Party in tatters
NZPA-Reuter East. Berlin East Germany’s orthodox Communist Party lay in tatters yesterday after its leader, Egon Krenz, and the entire hierarchy voted themselves out of office.
The unanimous decision by the Politburo and 160-strong Central Committee cleared the way for a 25-member reformist working group of grass-roots members and regional leaders to take over.
The group will try to stitch together a credible policy before an emergency party congress scheduled for December 15.
The speed at which the party diehards were swept away left most East Germans stunned. Still less had they reckoned on the party first kicking out its former leader, Erich Honecker, and 11 others for misrule and suspected
abuse of power for personal gain. Mr Krenz took over from Mr Honecker only seven weeks ago under pressure of mounting street protests involving millions of people and a mass exodus to the west.
He opened the Berlin Wall but could not dam the demands for instant reform.
Markus Wolf, a one-time intelligence chief and now on the working group, said the outgoing leaders had been barred from entering their offices until investigations had been completed into possible corruption.
To add to the ructions within the party, the police arrested two former Politburo members — the former economy chief, Guenter Mittag, and a trade union boss, Harry Tisch. Opposition groups also joined
the police in sealing off the home and office of Alexander Schalck-Golodkowski, East Germany’s ..shadowy foreign exchange hegotiator, whd is alleged-" to have-beaded an illegal arms J exporting firiij. V, r !' MrsSchalck is thought io’have fled Abroad ana News<prum, the ■ main opposition group, warned the reformist Prime Minister, Hans Modrow, fjigt more officials, could follow hjffl| f y ' Mr Modrow,' whoidpscribed Mr? Schalck as a traitor? quit the;" Politburo and 'Central Committee along with his colleagues. Mr ‘ Modrow, aged 61, looks set to be? re-elected at the congress. The reformers on the working group, headed by a regional? party leader, Herbert wanted Mr Modrow to join then? He declined, saying he must deyote himself to government.
Permanent link to this item
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19891205.2.67.7
Bibliographic details
Press, 5 December 1989, Page 11
Word Count
343German Communist Party in tatters Press, 5 December 1989, Page 11
Using This Item
Stuff Ltd is the copyright owner for the Press. You can reproduce in-copyright material from this newspaper for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 New Zealand licence. This newspaper is not available for commercial use without the consent of Stuff Ltd. For advice on reproduction of out-of-copyright material from this newspaper, please refer to the Copyright guide.
Copyright in all Footrot Flats cartoons is owned by Diogenes Designs Ltd. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise these cartoons and make them available online as part of this digitised version of the Press. You can search, browse, and print Footrot Flats cartoons for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from Diogenes Designs Ltd for any other use.
Acknowledgements
This newspaper was digitised in partnership with Christchurch City Libraries.
Log in