Angela Merkel elected to German chancellor for fourth term

Berlin, Mar 14 German Chancellor Angela Merkel was on Wednesday re-elected to the German Parliament for a record fourth term and will be confirmed later today.

The vote finished very nearly a half year of political vulnerability after the most recent year's German government race saw voters betray the two standard gatherings - Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), turning instead to parties on the left and right, the CNN reported.

364 of the German Parliament's (Bundestag) 709 members voted for Merkel in the secret ballot, nine more than the 50 percent required for being elected.

Merkel will first go to the residence of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin to be formally assigned before coming back to the Bundestag to be confirmed as the Chancellor later on Wednesday.

A week ago, the CDU got a lift as the SPD agreed to form a "grand coalition" government with them, ending months of political uncertainty in Germany. The understanding by the SPD ensured Merkel a fourth term in office.

As per reports, the SPD voted for the CDU, getting 399 seats in the 709-seat German Parliament. While the SPD got 153 seats, the Merkel-drove CDU got 246 seats.

The leadershipof the SPD had at first precluded joining Merkel in the government in the wake of generally frustrating outcomes at federal elections in September a year ago.

The SPD lawmakers will finalise six ministerial posts, with SPD caretaker leader Olaf Scholz confirming that there would be three female and three male ministers.

This will be the third "grand coalition" between the ruling CDU and the SPD since 2005.