European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - July 28, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday july 28, 1990 the stars a stripes Page 3 aiming for excellence a amps Dave Dujo Marine Cpl. . Munday a . Embassy guard in Vienna Austria checks his shooting accuracy after a pistol Competition at Rhein main a West Germany. Munday with co a Marine Security guard in was among 20 Marine embassy guards from around Europe who participated in the events. The Competition tested such skills As pistol and Shotgun shooting fitness and knowledge of professional responsibilities. Wont quit Over Berlin apr East Germany a second biggest political party withdrew its threat to resign from the government Friday averting a political crisis Over the process of German unification. The left leaning social democrats threatened tuesday to leave the coalition government of prime minister Lothar de Maiziere on Friday unless a dispute Over United German elections was resolved. The Liberal party resigned tuesday Over the dispute. With Compromise now in sight on the political feud the liberals planned to meet to reconsider their decision. Meanwhile social democratic Leader Wolfgang Thierse said his party would remain in de Maiziere s government even though a key difference remained Over How German elections should beheld. The social democrats and de Mai Zieres conservative Christian democrats the biggest party in East Germany agree that East and West Germany will vote As a single electorate for a United parliament on dec. 2. Under that plan. East Germany would dissolve itself dec. 1. The Christian democrats and several smaller political parties had demanded that East Germany remain a nation at the time of balloting so that two elections could be held. That would give smaller parties a better Chance of winning seats in the big new All German parliament. However de Maiziere and the Christian democrats backed Down from that demand in recent Days. The complicated dispute which has entered essentially on whether East Germany should dissolve one Day before or immediately after elections has basically been political mane vering by parties seeking the most favourable election conditions. There has been speculation that West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl who Longs to be Leader of a unified Germany has been prodding de Maiziere into insisting on separate elections to boost the West German Leader s chances. Disagreement Between the East German factions still exists Over what percentage of the vote a party must get to be represented in parliament. Under West German Law parties need 5 percent of the vote to be represented in parliament. No minimum is required in East Germany the social democrats want the 5 percent limit while the Christian democrats and several smaller parties have sought to lower it. De Maiziere has said special accommodations should be made to ensure that smaller East German parties have a Chance to be represented in parliament. The social democrats in both East and West Germany believe the lower limit would Hurt them by allowing smaller leftist groups to get parliamentary seats and splinter the left leaning vote. Under one proposed Compromise smaller parties could run on the ballots of larger parties. That would allow Allied parties to share ballot space. Under another idea the 5 percent limit would be mandated for each nation rather than Germany As a whole. That Means an East German party would have to win Only 5 percent of the vote in what is now East Germany rather than 5 percent of the total  Calls for end to Northrop defense contracts Washington apr the Justice department is recommending that the Northrop corp., a giant military contractor that has pleaded guilty to fraud charges be barred from building weapons for the nations military. In a series of memorandums from March to june of7 this year the department sharply criticized Northrop a the maker of the b-2 bomber and parts for the my nuclear missile a for failing to conduct critical tests on nuclear weapons systems a if any Case cries out for debarment this is the Case Quot said a March 13 memo from the . Attorneys office in los Angeles to o. Kevin Vincent in the air forces general counsel office at the Pentagon. Quot if Ever the american people deserve to be protected from the Type of reckless and potentially life threatening conduct this is it Quot the memo said. The House Energy and Commerce subcommittee on oversight and investigations planned Friday to question Pentagon acquisition Czar John Betti Justice department witnesses and a former Northrop auditor As part of its broader examination of the company. Northrop pleaded guilty in february to 34 fraud charges and agreed to pay $17 million in fines the largest criminal Fine Ever imposed on a defense contractor. A Jarmy to Cut 2,365 civilian support jobs by Rosemary Sawyer staff writer Heidelberg West Germany a Gen Crosbie a Saint has decided to eliminate 2,365 civilian support jobs in West Germany Over the next two years. Quot the reduction will occur primarily in the next two years through reduction and elimination of units Quot a Usa eur statement said. Quot the 2,365 spaces will be reduced through attrition to the maximum extent  the Usa eur commander s decision also Calls for converting an additional 876 jobs to regular local National positions the statement said. The head works Council which represents the . Army Europe s local National work Force has objected to the cuts. The Council contends such deep cuts in the 12,000-member group cannot be accomplished through attrition alone. The reduction is to begin oct. 1 and stretch Over two years. In response to a june 11 letter from the Council Saint wrote Quot in View of the changing Politico military scenario in Europe the head works councils reasons proffered in support of retaining All or at least part of the civilian support positions Are not  Saint also wrote that while he could not guarantee continued employment of the affected workers his objective was to Quot retain All individuals in other positions to include retraining and relocation As required Quot the civilian support Agency formerly called labor service provides such services As ammunition storage and handling construction maintenance Security transportation and smoke generation for training. Forty three units will be affected Jbf the decision Council spokesman an Dreas Rogel said Friday. Among the units Are maintenance units in Essling in smoke generating units in Mannheim a medical unit in Pir Masens and a Security unit in sch Sobisch a mind. The support group employees work under basically the same Tariff agreement As other local National employees the Usa eur statement said. Special provisions for support group workers include compensation for sunday Holiday and shift work. They also have separate pay schedules and receive a clothing allowance. The workers normally Wear fatigues. In addition about 1,700 of the support group workers live in billets provided by the army while the army is not obligated to provide the quarters the workers unit and its . Parent unit will help displaced workers find private housing Usa eur spokeswoman Millie Waters said Friday. Earlier Usa eur said the army also will assist local National workers by a allowing them to Register in usar euros priority placement program which gives them preference for any vacancy in West Germany for which they Are eligible. A covering their relocation Cost which averages almost $10,000 per move. A providing income Protection for longtime employees who Are age 40 or older. A providing Severance pay of up to four months pay to employees of More than two years. The West German government also provides employee benefits when cuts in local National positions result from Quot reduced troop strengths or relocation or deactivation of units for military reasons a the statement said. Saint based his reduction decision on the first phase of a Usa eur study. Usa eur officials have not released details on the second phase. The second phase will reduce transportation and guard units which largely had been spared during the first phase Rogel said. As part of the wartime Host nation support program workers in the civilian support Agency would be drafted into the West German army during a War. The first civilian support unit was organized in 1945 As part of a plan to employ the manpower released by the end of world War ii. Many of them were displaced persons from East european countries and the Baltic states