Bonn: who will be the next Head of State in Boon?
The announced choices are Walter Scheel (left photo), now Vice Chanc ellor and German Foreign Minister, and Richard von Weizsacker, member o f the Bundestag as well as the Federal Presidium of the CDU. On May 15 1974 the 1036 delegates of the Federal Convention of the Federal Republ ic of Germany will assemble to choose either the free democrat or the c hristian democrat as the future officeholder of the Federal presidency. Both presidential aspirants are 54 years old, 20 years younger than th e retiring incumbent Gustav Heinemann. His successor must capture at le ast 519 votes, an absolute majority on either the first or second ballo t. A simple majority would suffice if it came to a third ballot. Howeve r, the candidate of the coaliation government, Walter Scheel, is expect ed to wrap it up on the first time around, as the social liberal SPD/FD P coalition places 535 voting delgates in the Federal Convention, whcih is composed in equal amounts of the 518 voting and non-voting members of the Bundestag, and apportioned delegates from the legislatures of th e states
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Keywords: Photographs -- Germany; Photos -- Germany