European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 6, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes monday december 6,1993kohl s party beaten badly in key test Potsdam Germany apr Chancellor Helmut Kohl s party suffered a big defeat sunday in the first electoral test after German unification finishing third behind the Maii opposition social democrats and the former  results reflected Eastern disillusion with unfulfilled promises of Swift Prosperity after Germany a two halves reunited in 1990. 1 the balloting in Brandenburg which surrounds Berlin was closely watched across Germany As an indication of the mood in the troubled East ahead of next years state and Federal elections. The states 1.9 million voters chose mayors and councils in four cities and 1,700 towns sunday. The left Liberal social democrats won 36 percent of the vote followed by the reconstructed party of  22 per a ice reported after polls closed sunday night cratic socialism with 22 percent the incas polling serv or it said Kohl s ruling Christian democrats got 20 per cent a Down from 32 percent in the May 1990 local elections that preceded unification. The other mainstream party the free democrats got 6 percent As did the left Wing greens. The rest were divided among smaller parties and independents. The incas objection was based on interviews with 5,000 voters at 100 polling stations. Among the jobless and socially dislocated in Eastern Germany nostalgia is great for the social Security safety net of communist  election polling gave comm mists a Good Chance of winning the mayoral races in Potsdam the state capital and Frankfurt an Der Oder the states third biggest City. Initial results in those races were not in. Apathy was High for a people who Only shed totalitarian Rule four years ago. Only half the states eligible voters turned out compared with 70 percent in the May 1990 vote. In another significant development resentment of carpet bagging Western politicians and businessmen also appeared to  away from mainstream parties. A. It a nah three major parties1 have no idea How to bring about the changes we need a said Gerhard Schmidt of Luck Walde. A they always take care of themselves but Haven to helped out the people.�?�. The 43-year-old produce Salesman voted for candidates Felt a it a a Small Farmer s party. Unemployment is above 15 percent in  and 40 percent in places like the Sachsendorfe District the City of Cottbus where a Neo nazi Frank Huebner was running for mayor and City Council. Kohl was re elected in december 1990 elections with Strong support in the East. But the Cost of absorbing the East and its troubles has been High for All germans a in unemployment higher taxes and the first significant cuts in social benefits of the postwar Era. Man held los Angeles up a 45-year-old Man was being held sunday in connection with the serial molestations of As Many As 32 people a most of them children and teen agers a that have terrorized the suburban san Fernando Valley for months. Police arrested and booked Elliot singltary on Friday evening according to sgt. Memo Rosales of the los Angeles police department. Singletary is a resident of the upscale. Encino area of los Angeles Neair where Many of the attacks took place. But police also warned the Public to remain cautious because the serial molester could still be at Large. Although Singletary fits the composite drawing he May not be the Man police Are looking for Rosales said. A it should not be construed that the child molest suspect in custody has been involved with the entire series of crimes a he said. Singletary has not been formally charged and no details on the arrest have been released. Rosales said a formal announcement will be made late tuesday afternoon. Police have 48 hours after an arrest to determine whether they will ask the District attorneys office to file charges. Saturdays and sundays Are not included in the 48-hour limit. Singletary is one of four men police have arrested Over the last three weeks As a suspect in the molestations. Some of the men have been eliminated As suspects. Police believe the molester claimed his two latest victims Friday. In one incident a Man approached two Young girls As they carried trash to a dumpster near a driveway at Van Guys elementary school. He grabbed one of the girls who managed to struggle free. Another student was attacked on her Way to the same school last tuesday police said. Also Friday a Man in a vehicle pulled up to a 12-year-old girl As she walked to Robert a. Millikan Junior High school in Sherman Oaks and asked her if she wanted a ride police said. After fridays incidents los Angeles police increased the number of attacks attributed to the suspect to 32, adding four attacks they previously said were unrelated. The attacks have included male and female victims ranging from 5 to 21 years old who have been Black White asian and hispanic. The molester attacked his victims during mornings and afternoons and in at least 20 cases when the children were near or on their Way to Valley schools. Getting out the vote venezuelans in line since before Dawn wait for a polling stations. The peace fail voting was a contrast to the past two Yean. Ion to open sunday in Caracas. Citizens in the South american former president Carlos Andros Perez was suspended on Cor nation were voting in presidential congressional and state Elco eruption charges in May. Christopher takes Damascus tour Secretary meets Assad to win support for Mideast peace Damascus Syria apr Secretary of state Warren m. Christopher got a taste of ancient Damascus before plunging into the complexities of modern Middle East politics. He cautioned against a unreasonable expectations from his meeting with syrian president Hafez Assad. Before going into the meeting Christopher toured the l,200ryear-old umayyad mosque and then strode through the adjacent souk one of the worlds oldest markets. The session with Assad was part of Christophers latest Effort to restore movement to the Middle East peace process. A this is an unprecedented Opportunity to have a comprehensive peace a he said in Jerusalem before Hying to Syria. �?o1 done to want to create unreasonable  he said the latest round of diplomacy was a an Opportunity to energize the discussions Between Syria and Israel but my role is As an  the Days leading up to his visit to Syria Christopher and his staff had been openly concerned about expectations that it might produce a breakthrough in stalled negotiations Over the future of the Golan Heights. They also tried to Dampen speculation he would offer a Range of proposals to encourage Assad to Compromise with Israel. Most prominent among the speculation were reports that the United states would offer Assad a meeting with president Clinton in Exchange for a signal of willingness to reach a format peace with Israel. Before he leaves the Middle East next weekend Christopher would like at the very least to get an agreement for resumption of bilateral negotiation in Washington. Wearing his characteristic dark suit red tie and red pocket handkerchief Christopher toured the mosque in stocking feet. He was guided by Hassan Wahabi who said he gave Simitar Tours to presidents Nixon and Carter. A a in a greatly honoured to be Here a said Christopher. �?o1 have great respect for the religion of islam. I have heard about this mosque for years and  Wahabi told him the cavernous mosque was built Between 705 and 715 on the site of a Christian Basilica. \ he showed Christopher the ornate Tomb that purportedly contains the head of John the Baptist. The guide  Tomb demonstrated islamic tolerance for Alt religions. A islam is a religion that believes in other prophets that came before Mohammed a he said