German President, Horst Koehler, who got trapped in a controversy after his statement regarding Afghanistan’s deployment, resigned his post today on Monday 31st May, 2010. 67-year-old Koehler was re-elected last year as German President for next five-year term. His statement garnered a lot of criticism for him from country’s politicians and media. He is the former head of International Monetary Fund. For President, the hard days started soon after his brief visit to Afghanistan. He was sit for a radio interview when host asked his point of view regarding Afghanistan’s deployment. President said that it was necessary for them to deploy their troops to protect their interests. In President’s view, Germany is an export-oriented country and it is very important for them to follow the foot steps of powerful countries if they want to boost-up their economy.
In a statement released today, president announced his resignation while his wife was standing along him. He said that it was an honor for him to serve Germany as president. He thanked those who had supported him during these years and requested them to understand his decision of resigning. He also mentioned that the news of his resignation had already been brought to Chancellor Angela Markel. Opposition politicians accused him of damaging national interests and asked him to take his words back.
His interview was broadcasted on May 22. He was elected in 2004 and 2009. Like USA, Germany is also planning to bring his 4500 troops back in home by the end of 2011 but they have yet to fix time frame for that.