EAST BERLIN A compromise that would set Oct. 14 for German unitywas rejected Tuesday when East Germany's second-largest party defiedits leader and voted against the agreement.
The rebellion by members of the Social Democratic Party'sparliamentary caucus once again threw the unification timetable intodoubt since their party, as the second largest faction in parliament,could easily block the two-thirds majority needed for formalapproval.
Christian Democratic Prime Minister Lothar de Maiziere had said12 of the country's 14 parliamentary party leaders approved the Oct.14 unification date, including the Social Democrats' floor chief,Richard Schroeder, at a special meeting.
Only the former Communists, now called the Party of DemocraticSocialism, and the small civil rights group Alliance 90 opposed thedate, favoring merger on Dec. 2 when all-German elections are to beheld.
The Oct. 14 date had been disputed for weeks, and Tuesday'sagreement appeared to clear the way to concentrate on easing EastGermany's rocky transition to a market economy after 40 years ofcentral planning.
But the Social Democrats' chairman, Wolfgang Thierse, said hisparty would stick to its original quest for East Germany's accessionto West Germany on Sept. 15, three days after the expected completionof international talks on the status of the future united Germany.
"We will introduce this proposal in parliament at theappropriate time and seek a majority for it," Thierse said. "Sept. 15corresponds to objective political logic."
East and West German Social Democrats contend that speedierunion is necessary to head off East Germany's accelerating eco nomic collapse.
Christian Democrats in East and West Germany say Oct. 14 is bestfor organizational and international reasons.
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