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M. Continuo

Rebels force German presidential vote to 3rd round


    BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative candidate failed to win an absolute majority in the second round of Germany's presidential election on Wednesday, forcing it to a third round that could be damaging for Merkel.

    Rebel votes among the ruling centre-right coalition meant Christian Wulff, state premier of Lower Saxony, failed in two rounds to beat the centre-left's candidate Joachim Gauck, a Protestant pastor and civil rights campaigner.

    In the third round, to be held shortly, candidates need only a simple majority to win. Merkel badly needed a clear victory to offset criticism of her leadership in the financial crisis and record low standing in opinion polls.

    (Additional reporting by Erik Kirschbaum, Dave Graham and Paul Carrel; writing by Stephen Brown)