Germany's federal assembly in Berlin failed Wednesday to elect a new president on the first ballot, forcing a fresh ballot to choose a successor to Horst Koehler, who resigned May 31, DPA reported.
The federal assembly, a 1,244-member electoral college that only meets to choose the head of state, cast a plurality of 600 votes for Christian Wulff, Chancellor Angela Merkel's nominee. Wulff is premier of Lower Saxony state.
To win, a candidate must obtain an absolute majority on the first or second ballot, or a plurality on a third ballot.
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