Christian Democrats nominate cabinet contender

Fribourg senator Urs Schwaller is the centre-right Christian Democratic Party's official candidate for election to the federal cabinet on September 16.

This content was published on September 8, 2009 - 17:07

1 minute

The 56-year-old lawyer was chosen in a secret ballot on Tuesday after rivals Dominique de Buman and Luigi Pedrazzini pulled out.

The Christian Democrats are challenging the seat of Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin, one of two centre-right Radical Party representatives in the seven-member cabinet. He is to step down next month.

The Radicals have put two names on their list, Didier Burkhalter and Christian Lüscher.

The Green Party confirmed it would not be entering the race but would support the candidate with the political views closest to its own.

The other main parties have not yet announced which candidate they will vote for on election day.

The cabinet is made up of two members from the Radicals and two from the centre-left Social Democrats, as well as one from the rightwing Swiss People’s Party, one from the Christian Democrats and one from the centre-right Conservative Democrats.

swissinfo.ch and agencies

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