E. German Factions Agree on Leader to Forge Gov’t.

East Germany’s major political factions agreed today to ask Christian Democrat leader Lothar de Maiziere to try to build a government that will unite this foundering nation.

The first freely elected Parliament in the nation’s history is to convene Thursday, and it is certain to formally approve today’s agreement and charge De Maiziere with forging a broad governing coalition.

Leaders of the parties that control the legislature met today and agreed on a framework for finally putting in place a democratic government.

If De Maiziere is successful in bringing together groups with differing ideas on unification with West Germany, then the Parliament will reconvene April 11 and vote on his Cabinet nominations, said Martin Kirchner, a high-ranking Christian Democrat.

The Alliance for Germany led by De Maiziere favors rapid reunification. The left-leaning Social Democrats want a gradual merger of the two states.

De Maiziere leads a Christian Democrat-led alliance that has been trying to form a coalition with the left-leaning Social Democrats and a smaller group of liberal lawmakers.

Although the Alliance for Germany won the most seats in the March 18 elections, it needs to form a coalition to ensure two-thirds control of the Parliament.

Kirchner predicted that a government may be formed quickly “so that this nation is no longer devoid of government.”

The back-room political wrangling and charges that new lawmakers had ties to the secret police of the old Stalinist regime have taken the steam out of the reunification process.

A Communist-led caretaker government that followed the ousted regime of hard-liner Erich Honecker in October has been running the country.