Berlin - The former German chancellor, Dr Helmut Kohl, has put an end to a growing political squabble in Germany by saying that he will not attend the official ceremony to mark the 10th anniversary of German reunification in Dresden on October 3rd, Derek Scally reports.
He had been invited as a guest to the event but was not invited to speak, recognition that his legacy as the reunification chancellor has been tainted by the ongoing financing scandal in the Christian Democratic Union (CDU).
Dr Kohl said he hoped his decision would allow the anniversary to be celebrated in a dignified fashion, with the focus on the event, not on individuals. Others listed to speak at the celebration include the German President, Mr Johannes Rau, and Mr Lothar de Maiziere, the first and only democratically elected president in the former German Democratic Republic.