BERLIN BEGINS NEW ERA

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5306, 20 January 1947, Page 7

BERLIN BEGINS NEW ERA

FiREELY ELECTEb CITY GOUNCIL TAKES OYEB, BERLIN. • Berlin's City Council begins h new era with control of affairs in' the hands of democraticaily elected regresentatives, -restricted in their activities by Allied military axithorities only to the. extent essential to maintain the requirements of the occiipation. Berlin from its collapse until today had been administered .on the German side by a council which is mainly of Russian choosing, with the result that of 55 top officials 36 Avere from Soviet-sponsored S.E.D. or Socialis^ Unity Party. On October 20, however, thanks to the insistence of representatives of the western democracies, free and the western democracies on the Kommandatura, free and untramelled elections were held and Berliners decisively expressed themselves against such a one-sided administration. They returned the Social Democratic Party wtih an overwhelming majority, followed hy the Ghristian Democratic Union, with the -S.E.D. a poor third and the Lxberal Democrats iast.

130 Councillors Elected. One hundred an dthfi'ty City Councillors were elected then. All but one, Jacob Kaiser, chairman of the 'Ghristian Democratic Union, who was away in south Germany, were present and took the oath to administer the city in its best interests and Occording to democratic and republtcan principles. This constituent meeting -largely was taken up in routine matters, such as a speech by the oldest m-em-ber — the procedure followed also in the Reichstag in pre-Hitler days — and the election of a chairman for the City Parliament. Other more important elections, such as for Oberburgermeister, Lord Mayor, and Buirgermeisters of the different horough councils, are expected at the next meeting. The City Council is oganised in parliamentary lines, with offiees distributed according to the strength of political parties, though " there is a clause in Berlin's Provisional Constitution whereby every party with any representation has a right to claim some office. Since the Social Democrats had such a la-rge majority, and in all con-stituencies, they will nominate the Oherhurgermeister and most other importan^ officials. Two-Year Tenure. The present council, which is elected for two years, has among its -most important tasks the alleviating of distress among the population, securing of economic stability in Bexdin, and tinally of approving the Provisional Constitution, which was worked ou.t earlier with the approval of occupation authorities, Equally important with their special tasks on behalf of Berlin, they also will be. working out relations with- occupation authorities. Berliu, which enjoys the status of a "land," or state, is exceptional, being in the anomalo-us position as the only one of its kind where all four oecupying Powers are represented, each with its own sector. Berlin also iseeks to -re^establish its -position as the German capital, which not only involves economic rebuilding, but also depends largely upon the removal of barriers between the occupation zones, and also the laying of a foundation of .new prestige for this city, partic-ularly through the example in the administration under new conditions. All Germany is watching what is happening here.