CDU's final victory strengthens Merkel

GERMANY'S protracted general election finally ended yesterday with another victory for the conservative CDU party. It now seems certain that Angela Merkel will be proclaimed chancellor in the days ahead.

By The Newsroom

Published 3rd Oct 2005, 01:00 BST

Some 219,000 voters in the eastern city of Dresden went to the polls a fortnight after everybody else because of the death of a candidate before the general election on 18 September.

Exit polls from three research institutes put Mrs Merkel's CDU conservatives as victors in the city, increasing by one their representation in the German parliament from 225 to 226 seats, four more than Chancellor Gerhard Schrder's SPD.

Observers think the political gridlock may end this week, most probably with Mr Schrder conceding.