That much Germans understand, but how those contradictions could be resolved in a joint government, nobody can fathom.. CHANCELLOR HELMUT Kohl is mobilising every potential voter in the last days of the German general election campaign. After the last “grand coalition”, the Christian Democrats were out of power for 13 years.But this time the prospect of such a government is seen as the logical outcome of the blurring of the differences between the two great parties. After six months of campaigning, the voters can be excused for feeling a little confused.With Chancellor Kohl, at least they know where they stand. After 16 years of “stability and peace”, the incumbent is promising four more.

Willy Brandt became the first Social Democrat chancellor in 1969 after serving three years as junior partner to the Christian Democrats.With such a precedent, Mr Kohl is understandably not keen to repeat the experience. At the hustings, Mr Kohl runs through his achievements, drops a few promises about trying to bring down unemployment and reform taxation and plays on his image as the trusted pilot in stormy seas.The Social Democrats, on the other hand, speak with forked tongues. Never has an opposition party come to power in elections in post-war Germany. In a television interview on Monday night, he even suggested he was prepared to play second fiddle in a government led by Christian Democrats.With the polls consistently predicting an extremely close race, a marriage of convenience has always been regarded as one of the most possible outcomes of Sunday’s vote. He had shown willingness to deal with anyone but the post- Communists of eastern Germany.

Gerhard Schroder, the Social Democrat challenger, had always denied that. Christian Democrat spin doctors scrambled to issue “clarifications”, urging editors to take a closer look at the rest of the interview, particularly the part where Mr Kohl declares: “I will not be the leader of a grand coalition.”Until now, the Chancellor’s strategy consisted of presenting Sunday’s elections as a choice between himself, or a coalition of Social Democrats and Greens. “I consider a grand coalition to be possible in principle, because democrats have to be able to form coalitions with each other,” the Chancellor said.
In the glacial world of German politics, this admission of political reality was treated as a sensation. “We are the most vocal, some would say the noisiest, ethnic group,” said Dr Mays. “We have the tradition of civil rights and we know better than anyone how to sing `We Shall Overcome’.”. ALMOST INSEPARABLE in the polls, the visible distinctions between Chancellor Helmut Kohl and his challenger faded further yesterday as Germans were confronted with the prospect of a “grand coalition” after this Sunday’s vote.

In a televised interview last night, Mr Kohl conceded for the first time that the two biggest parties might be condemned to govern together. “We recognise he needed to do that to get re-elected and we appreciate his efforts to stand up for social programmes, education and health in spite of the welfare reforms,” Dr Washington added.If Mr Clinton can keep minorities on his side and persuade them to turn out to vote in November, it could also allay fears among his fellow Democrats that they are in for a scandal-driven rout. According to Geraldine Washington, president of the Los Angeles chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, this is because any wrongdoing is clearly outweighed by the vehemence of the backlash against him.”What we’re seeing is the ideology of a dominant culture that wants to get you at all costs,” she said. “We’ve had similar experiences – how they keep after you until they find your weak point. This is oppressive pressure that we can relate to,” she said.Mr Clinton also enjoys strong support among minority groups for his policies – surprising since he pushed through deep cuts in welfare before his 1996 re-election. An answer is expected in the next day or two.But the gesture is in itself remarkable when much of the political talk in America has been about impeachment, not giving Mr Clinton a leg-up.The black community appears less perturbed than most by the President’s affair and his subsequent denials under oath.