German parties to seek agreement on new president

BERLIN — Germany’s coalition government and main opposition parties will hold a first round of talks on finding a bipartisan candidate for the country’s presidency.

German news agency dapd reported the meeting between leaders from the governing parties and the opposition is scheduled to start late Sunday at Berlin’s chancellery.

Conservative politician Christian Wulff resigned as head of state Friday following a scandal over allegedly received favors.

Chancellor Angela Merkel’s center-right coalition, which is prone to infighting, only has a wafer-thin majority in the special parliamentary assembly that must elect a new president within 30 days. The opposition Social Democrats and Greens signaled they could support a bipartisan candidate.

Germany’s president holds a largely ceremonial role.