Schroeder won't concede defeat

2005-09-19 15:32

Berlin - Opposition leader Angela Merkel on Monday reminded Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder she'd won Germany's general elections, albeit without a ruling majority and said she held the mandate to form a government.

Merkel said if one counted the votes cast for her Christian Democrats and their preferred partners, the Free Democrats, "we have a lead of 1.2 million votes" over Schroeder's coalition of Social Democrats and Greens.

"That is a clear mandate to govern," she told reporters at her party headquarters.

"We have emerged as the strongest party." Merkel's party won 35.2% of the vote, a very slim victory over Schroeder's Social Democrats (SPD) who polled 34.3% in a remarkable comeback nobody imagined weeks ago.

Schroeder, who has refused to concede defeat, on Monday said he planned to grant his supporters their wish and remain chancellor.

"Our task is to fulfil the wishes of our whole party and that we will do," he said after an SPD meeting.

Together the SPD and Greens tallied a lower combined score than Merkel's conservatives and the Free Democrats, which at 45% however still falls short of a governing majority.

Merkel said she believed the Social Democrats would "gradually" accept this.

She said she planned to speak to all political parties about a coalition, except the Left Party, a mix of disgruntled Social Democrats and ex-communists.

Her party would first focus on negotiations with the Free Democrats, she said.

- SAPA