Germany's Social Democrats on Tuesday elected Matthias Platzeck, a state governor from the formerly communist east, as their new chairman, bringing a younger face to the party as it heads into a conservative-led government, reported AP today. A party conference gave Platzeck near-unanimous support as the center-left party of outgoing Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder hurried to put behind it a sudden leadership crisis that emerged two weeks ago. Only two delegates opposed Platzeck, one abstained and 512 voted for him.
