German Chancellor mulls consensus on new president

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German Chancellor mulls consensus on new president

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Merkel will discuss election of president with her center-right coalition and opposition parties.

18 February,2012 10:08 am

Chancellor Angela Merkel says she will seek an agreement with Germanys main opposition parties on a new head of state after President Christian Wulff quit in a scandal over favors he allegedly received.Merkel, who proposed Wulff for the presidency in 2010, on Friday expressed deep regret at his resignation. It threatens to create a major domestic distraction for her as she grapples with the eurozone debt crisisMerkel said the parties in her center-right coalition will consult among themselves and then immediately approach the opposition Social Democrats and Greens.She said: We want to conduct talks with the aim, in this situation, of being able to propose a joint candidate for the election of the next German president.