City authorities move to counteract the poster campaign of the Citizen's Party
In the recent local election in Bergisch Gladbach, a series of events have unfolded, casting a shadow over the democratic process. The city's election officer has accused the local party GL of violating election rules, following a late-night poster campaign. The GL party, however, has yet to comment on the allegations.
Meanwhile, the SPD has found itself embroiled in controversy as well. The party has been accused by the Citizens' Party of not keeping promises on childcare, among other allegations. In response, SPD chairman Volker Schiek maintains that the creation of sufficient childcare places is a core concern of the SPD, and that given there were still free places in kindergartens and daycare available at the beginning of September, this political goal has been achieved.
The SPD has also rejected accusations of manipulation levied by the Citizens' Party, with no response received from the latter regarding the specifics of these allegations.
Interestingly, the Citizens' Party, despite losing the election, has launched a new campaign, covering up old posters with new motifs and setting up more triangular stands. This move has not gone unnoticed, with the first deputy mayor and election officer for Bergisch Gladbach, Ragnar Migenda, ordering the Citizens' Party to stop further poster campaigns and remove the existing posters immediately.
The city has taken action, removing the posters and sending an invoice for the costs. However, the Citizens' Party has interpreted this process as 'a conspiracy against democracy'.
The issue appears to stem from concerns over the Citizens' Party's candidate nomination process, which were uncovered by the SPD. The party's election committee approved the registration of the Citizens' Party with reservations, as they are not subject to the strict rules of the party law.
The SPD has also pointed out that the Citizens' Party had not published a statute and that only a small number of members had participated in the nomination meetings.
In a surprising turn of events, Günther Schöpf, the AfD's mayoral candidate, had given a personally marked election recommendation, voting for Marcel Kreutz, the candidate of SPD and Greens, in the runoff. This recommendation was met with a strong reaction from the Citizens' Party, who accused Schöpf of advocating for a ban on the far-right party. The ensuing exchange between Schöpf and another party leader, Kreutz, has raised concerns about the state of democracy in Bergisch Gladbach.
Alexander Felsch (CDU/FDP) had already rejected the offer of an election recommendation from the Citizens' Party before the first round of voting.
As the dust settles, the city of Bergisch Gladbach finds itself in a complex web of political intrigue, with the future of its local government uncertain. The election committee is expected to release the final results soon, shedding light on the will of the voters and potentially resolving some of the lingering questions about the democratic process in Bergisch Gladbach.
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