D as date is historic: 18 March 1990. On this day, citizens could choose the German Democratic Republic for the first and only time in the history of their country their Parliament, the People's Chamber, free. A "triumph of demagoguery" was the vote, said the last East German Prime Minister Lothar de Mazière on Thursday during a ceremony at the German Bundestag and praised it as a "plebiscite on German unity."
The turnout of 94 percent expected to how to darkest GDR times - but was in fact signal the democratic awakening. In particular, the pressure of the then opposition parties allowed the historic election, which featured are 19 parties and five list of links to choose from.
The result was clear: 48 percent opted for the supported by the then Chancellor Helmut Kohl "Alliance for Germany". A clear vote for the rapid introduction of the D-Mark and the early realization of the unit. In contrast, emerged from the SED, the PDS was only at 16 percent.
97 percent Volkskammer newcomers
two and a half weeks later, on 5 April 1990, gathered a total of 409 Deputies for the first time as their predecessors in the Palace of the Republic to the first session. At the head of the CDU-politician and doctor Sabine Bergmann-Pohl was as President. 97 percent of the then People's Chamber deputies were then-newcomers. Eight of them - including Wolfgang Thierse and Gregor Gysi - sit still in the Bundestag.
The new parliament also differed in terms of workload from his predecessors: while the SED dictatorship had the people's chamber only two to three meetings per year and to nod to the decisions of state and party leadership. By contrast, the last East German Parliament historic turnout: it concluded the agreement on economic, monetary and social union, the contract unit and, on 23 August 1990, joining the Federal Republic.
38 sessions, more than 150 laws
Total Members completed 38 plenary sessions, in which more than 150 laws have been adopted. One of the "hardest-working parliaments in German history" was the last People's Parliament, de Mazière said at the ceremony in Berlin. It should not have always worked professionally, "but always authentic and honest." The optimism and joy of this time he would like to also present for the Bundestag.
the freely elected East German People's Chamber there was ultimately only a few months. The Parliament had been chosen to be one of the pioneers for German unity to make itself redundant. And dissolved on 2 October 1990, a day before the accession of the GDR to the Federal Republic itself on.
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