German party chief to resign
2006-04-10 16:14
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Berlin - The head of Germany's Social Democrats, an equal partner in the country's ruling left-right coalition, is to resign his post for health reasons.
Sources close to the German party said on Monday that Matthias Platzeck, 52, had been recently treated for hearing problems.
Platzeck took office five months ago.
He is expected to be replaced as head of the Social Democrats by Kurt Beck, a powerful figure within the party who was recently re-elected as leader of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Platzeck, who had been tipped as a possible future chancellor, took over the party reins Franz Muentefering in November.
Muentefering had become vice-chancellor in the German government, led by conservative Chancellor Angela Merkel.
- AFP