Duisburg mayor seems safe in office despite Love Parade tragedy
Efforts to remove Duisburg Mayor Adolf Sauerland in the wake of the Love Parade disaster in which 21 people were killed and around 500 injured, seem set to fail.
Sauerland has been politically damaged by his admission of having lied about expected visitor numbers to the event to support organisers’ false claims, as well as a perception that he has tried to shift blame onto others.
But he has until now refused to countenance resigning, saying he will wait until an official investigation is complete before taking any personal consequences.
The city council is set to vote on a proposal to remove him from office on Monday, but it seems unlikely that the necessary two-thirds majority will be reached.
A special meeting of the council last Monday resulted with 39 votes to get rid of Sauerland, when 50 would be needed to action it. This would trigger a referendum in which a quarter of those entitled to vote would have to do so, and more than half of the votes go against him to remove him from office.
The rules state that only one such attempt can be made – if it fails he will remain in office without any limits.
DAPD/hc
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Sauerland has been politically damaged by his admission of having lied about expected visitor numbers to the event to support organisers’ false claims, as well as a perception that he has tried to shift blame onto others.
But he has until now refused to countenance resigning, saying he will wait until an official investigation is complete before taking any personal consequences.
The city council is set to vote on a proposal to remove him from office on Monday, but it seems unlikely that the necessary two-thirds majority will be reached.
A special meeting of the council last Monday resulted with 39 votes to get rid of Sauerland, when 50 would be needed to action it. This would trigger a referendum in which a quarter of those entitled to vote would have to do so, and more than half of the votes go against him to remove him from office.
The rules state that only one such attempt can be made – if it fails he will remain in office without any limits.
DAPD/hc
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