German president resigns over controversial Afghanistan statements
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Berlin, May 31, IRNA -- German President Horst Koehler announced his sudden resignation Monday in the wake of his controversial remarks over Germany's military role in Afghanistan.
"I am stepping down from my post as the federal president," a teary-eyed Koehler announced in a brief speech at the presidential office.
He said suggestions that he was supporting an illegal German military mission in Afghanistan geared at preserving the country's economic interests was baseless and lacked the necessary respect for the post of the president.
The 67-year-old Koehler who held the largely ceremonial post since July 2004, had hinted during a recent visit to Afghanistan that the German military mission was aimed at defending economic interests.
This is the first time in Germany's post-war history that a president has resigned.
The speaker of Germany's upper house of parliament, Jens Boehrnsen, is to fill the presidential post on an interim basis until a successor is chosen.
Koehler had earlier in the day informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel of his decision to step down.
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