Senior Opposition Figure Quits Post

A top manager of Germany’s scandal-tainted conservatives quit after six months on the job, saying the party needs stronger leaders to recover in time for 2002 elections. Secretary-General Ruprecht Polenz became the latest victim of the turmoil among Christian Democrats as they try to shake off a yearlong financial scandal triggered by former Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Polenz, 54, was installed by party chief Angela Merkel as a point man for daily political strategy. But he was criticized for failing to improve morale and stop internal bickering. Laurenz Meyer, 52, a senior Christian Democratic legislator in North Rhine-Westphalia state, will replace Polenz.