Post date: Mar 01, 2011 10:41:3 AM
German Defence Minister resigns from all political offices over plagiarism row.
KUNDUZ, AFGHANISTAN - German Defence Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, embroiled in a plagiarism scandal, resigned from all his political offices on Tuesday (March 1).
Guttenberg, the most popular member of Chancellor Angela Merkel's cabinet, has been embroiled in a plagiarism row. Merkel had defended Guttenberg and analysts said he was important for conservative party
hopes in three state elections later this month.He was stripped of his doctorate after admitting last week his PhD dissertation was flawed. He apologised to parliament after being accused of copying parts of the dissertation without correct attribution.
He had rejected charges of plagiarism and opposition calls to resign over the affair, which has dominated headlines and television chat shows for the last week.
Merkel had backed Guttenberg because she needed the only bright spot in her cabinet for March elections.
Guttenberg, 39, has long been the most popular minister in Merkel's cabinet. But the aristocrat's popularity was based on his carefully nurtured image for honesty and integrity. German media have found scores of copied passages in his dissertation.
He said he made mistakes but not deliberately.
In recent days some conservatives distanced themselves from him. Education minister Annette Schavan on Monday called Guttenberg's actions shameful and parliamentary president Norbert Lammert was quoted as saying it was "a nail in the coffin for confidence in democracy".