Saxony-Anhalt | BSW: No deal with AfD for state parliament presidency

Amira Mohamed Ali denies an agreement with the AfD about the allocation of positions in the Magdeburg state parliament. Photo: dpa/Peter Gercke Berlin. The federal co-chair of the BSW, Amira Mohamed Ali, rejects reports of a post pact with the AfD in Saxony-Anhalt for the presidium of the state parliament. “There is no such deal,” said Mohamed Ali on the ARD talk show “Maischberger.”

The BSW will not reject an AfD candidate out of principle. At the same time, her party “will not put forward a candidate for the office of state parliament vice-president,” said Mohamed Ali. The deputy state parliament presidents would be requested by the stronger parliamentary groups. "And we don't have a deal with the AfD on that."

Politicians from both parties had previously indicated an agreement in connection with the election in a conversation with the ARD capital studio. Tobias Rausch, parliamentary managing director of the AfD parliamentary group in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, said that the BSW had publicly promised to "grant the strongest political force the state parliament president." In return, Rausch announced that the AfD would support all those who also supported the AfD's work in parliament.

A few days ago, Mohamed Ali had said about a possible agreement: "Yes, that's what I'm hearing." Now she denied a corresponding deal. The BSW will not nominate its own candidate for the office of state parliament vice-president.

In the state elections in Saxony-Anhalt, the AfD became the strongest force with 39 seats. 42 votes are needed for a majority in the 83-seat state parliament. The CDU, Left, Greens and SPD together also have 39 seats, the BSW has five seats. 

With regard to the election of the Prime Minister, Mohamed Ali also confirmed that the BSW would not support the AfD candidate Ulrich Siegmund. If Siegmund were to be elected, her party would like to abstain. dpa/nd

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