European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sunday january 25, 1987 the stars and stripes Page 9 German voters choosing leaders West germans go to the polls today to Clcil representatives to their parliament the bundestag for the i in Lime since the end of world War 11. The election also will decide whether incumbent Chancellor Helmut Kohl remains in office or is succeeded by challenger Johannes Rau. Kohl of the Christian democratic Piny or cd has been Chancellor since 1982 and is expected to win easily Over Rau inc social democratic party or spa candidate. The Chancellor is elected by the member of parliament so the party or coalition that controls the Niota teats in the bundestag in effect picks the Chan cellar. By american standards the German electoral sys tem is not a simple one since All voters receive in effect two Voles or  the first vote goes directly to candidates running in Germany s 248 voting disc Roku mo�1 of these scats Are won by members of the spa or inc cd except in Bavaria where the Christian social Union runs in the cd s place. Voters cast their second Stimme far registered parties the parties then fill the seats proportioned to them with candidates from prepared party lists. The second Vole is important for Small panics such As the free democratic party or the Green party which win few seats on the first Vole. A political party must receive 5 percent of the Sec Ond vote in order to be seated in the slate or Federal parliaments. The 5 percent requirement however is waived in the Case of ethnic minorities. Thus the Southern Schleswig voters association which rep resents the danish minority in the state of Schleswig Holstein receives seats in parliament although it accounts for less than 5 percent of the population of the stale. In addition to the 496 parliament seats another 22 delegates represent West Berlin which because of conditions Laid Down by inc Allied Powers after world War ii. Cannot directly elect representatives. The 22 Are appointed by a chamber of deputies and do not have full voting Powers. A1 the moment the cd and the Csc Rule in coalition with the free democrats. It is inc Chancellor who determines the guidelines of government policy. Yet the parliament has the Power of the no Confidence vote to rid itself of a Chancellor who loses majority support. Voter turnout in the Federal Republic of Germany is High. In 1983, almost 90 percent of registered voters turned out for the National election. It is not unusual Tor local elections to attract so percent of inc Vole. Confused by stall writer de a Muir Irani Illarr Rulison &upp4md Ivy in of Man to Seti a Here s a Basic guide to the political parties members of the German bundestag currently come from five political parties the social democratic party of Germany or spa the Christian democratic Union of Germany or cd the Christian social Union of Bavaria or Csc the free democratic party or Ftp and the Green party or the greens. The cd has no representation in Bavaria where its sister party the Csc represents similar interests. The Csc operates Only in Bavaria and. On the National level the two parties form one joint cd Csc bloc. All the parties except the greens entered the Politi Cal Arena Between 1945 and 1947, the greens were first scaled in the bundestag in 1983 after being elected into six stale parliaments. The spa was a re creation of the former mainly labor oriented party of the same name forbidden by Adolph hitter in 1933. The other parties saw them selves As new formations sharing Only in part the traditions of parties existent during the Weimar Republic Between inc two world wars the spa party chairman is former Chancellor Willy Brandt the party s Chancellor candidate this year is Johannes Rau. When the cd and Csc were founded the organizations sought support among the two leading branches of christianity protestantism and catholicism. The cd party chairman is Chancellor Hel Mut Kohl. The chairman of the Csc is the present minister president of Bavaria Franz Josef Strauss. The Ftp Laid claim to the heritage of German liberalism that existed before the third Reich. Martin bang Mann Heads the Ftp but its most visible member is Hans Dietrich Genster German foreign minister. Since their postwar beginnings the spa cd. Csc and Ftp have undergone enormous changes and now refer to themselves As popular parties serving the Best interest of All germans. The Green party evolved from a Radical Environ mental Protection movement. It enjoys support among voters who oppose Industrial growth and nuclear electricity production. The greens also represent pacifist tendencies and reject the stationing of nuclear missiles in Europe. They also Chancellor Helmut Kohl is heavily favored to win Over challenger Johannes pm gesturing. Advocate Germany s leaving the nato Alliance. The greens arc headed by a Council and rotate bundestag delegates every two years to prevent what they Call corruption through the exercise of Power. More than 10 other Small parties Are in the Federal Republic of Germany but they Seldom succeed in mustering the required 5 percent of the National Electo ral vote to be seated in the bundestag. The communist party of Germany kid has failed to gain a scat in any state or the Federal parliament since 1953, when it had 15 seals in the bundestag other communist groupings Are presently seated m several City councils. The ultralight Wing National democratic party was elected to several slate assemblies up to 1972, Bui it has since lost All scats. Parties advocating the overthrow of inc government or abolishing in democratic principles May be outlawed by the government. The socialist Reich party an extreme right Wing party was banned As unconstitutional in 1952, As was the communist party of Ger Many in 1956. The German communist party has picked up the traditions of the outlawed party but its importance appears to be so negligible that the bundestag has not taken Steps to forbid 11. Cd Ftp Ltd by Eltty or Rwy de Ruvii from int Malion Tuppie by it a i mail rental Pizii office in  report details stepped up nuclear safeguards Washington a the United slates embarked on a major Security program for its nuclear Arsenal Early this decade including taking Steps to make the triggering of warheads by Accident or terror ism impossible according to a secret report. The departments of defense and Energy also began exploring new ways to store and transport nuclear weapons upgraded Security Al depots and laboratories both in the untied states and abroad and continued experiments to set if knowledgeable individuals could crack weapons Access codes. One expert said the program May be costing As much As $500 million a year. This picture of the nation s nuclear Arsenal is painted in a special joint report by the Energy and defense depart ments to president Reagan written in 1984. A censored version of the report which is classified Urei was re teased last week under the Freedom of information act by a Wellington researcher William m. Arkin. The report the first of what Are now annual reports to the president is designed to highlight the key Steps being taken by the two departments to safeguard inc production handling and deployment of nuclear weapons various programs Are under Way to ensure an improved safely Security and control posture the report says. While no Dollar figures arc included the study makes Clear the government spurred in part by the Rise of terrorism around the world is now spending hundreds of millions of dollars every year to improve nuclear safety. The amount of Money that goes into the care and feeding of the nuclear Arsenal is just astounding and this document gives us a picture of drat said Artin a nuclear weapons expert with the Institute for policy studies a Liberal Washington think tank. Arkia said thai based on the programs mentioned in the report they re probably spending close to $500 million a year on safety and Security  from the Doe weapons making panted Plant in Texas to design laboratories in California and new Mexico co the Nevada test site outside Las vegas nev., extensive upgrades to physical Security were begun in 1981 and were continuing in 1984, the report says. Similar efforts were under Way at military depots both inside and outside the United states including inc installation of new integrated electronic intrusion detection  the report also notes that virtually All new warheads built since 1980 have used a new Type of insensitive High explosive for the triggering mechanism devel oped by the department of Energy. Accidental or even deliberate detonation of a nuclear bomb s trigger can be essentially eliminated for most scenario by use of the new formulations of High explosive the report states. Even More promising is the development of Inser table nuclear component technology the report says. In a weapon with an insatiable nuclear component the fissile material in the primary is stored separately from the High explosive and is inserted Only in the event of a nuclear weapon  work also is under Way on new apparently elec tronic ways to disable nuclear weapons that Are in danger of being seized by an enemy or terrorist. The report details a variety of initiatives involving the transportation of weapons or plutonium including a program to expand the use of the military Airlift coma. To support department of Energy weapon  on the ground communication and tracking systems have been improved to Monitor constantly the location of trains and trucks carrying nuclear Nui Eviat and train can have been repainted with colors which More closely blend in with commercial Carrier