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GVs, MVs & SVs Crowds awaiting Scheel's arrival (5 shots)
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MV Old bus with election posters and music in background
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CU ZOOM OUT TO MV Post of Scheel
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SCU Top View & MV Scheel speaking & introducing candidates (3 shots)
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SV PAN Crowd applaud
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MV PAN & SV PAN Scheel into car and away (2 shots)
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Initials ESP/1223 ESP/1238



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: With the pressure of campaigning building up for Sunday's (19 November) elections in West Germany, Foreign Minister Walter Scheel addressed an election rally on Wednesday, (15 November) for the Free Democratic Party (FDP) in the Westphalian city of Dusseldorf.

Herr Scheel is the leader of the FDP, one of the two coalition parties at present ruling West Germany. Chancellor Willy Brandt's Social Democratic Party is the main coalition partner.

The day after (Thursday) Herr Scheel addressed the Dusseldorf rally, he announced that West Germany and other Western nations have invited the Soviet Union and its allies to exploratory talks on troop reductions. The talks are to begin in Switzerland on January 31.

Herr Scheel's Free Democrats won 5.8 per cent of the votes in the last general election in 1969. His party has pledged to maintain the alliance with Chancellor Brandt's Social Democrats and the coalition is confident it can beat Dr. Rainer Barzel's Christian Democratic Party challenge.

The elections were called when Chancellor Brandt deliberately lost a no confidence motion. The main issues in the election are the domestic problem of inflation, and Herr Brandt's policy of Ostpolitik - attempts at improving the relations between West Germany and the East.

SYNOPSIS: With only a few days to West Germany's election on Sunday, Foreign Minister Walter Scheel addressed a rally in the city of Dusseldorf on Wednesday. The rally in the Westphalian city was held by the Free Democratic Party, a coalition partner in Chancellor Willy Brandt's Government.

The Dusseldorf rally was typical of the noise and exuberance which has surrounded campaigning for the elections.

The day after campaigning in Dusseldorf, Herr Scheel announced that West Germany and other Western nations had invited the Soviet Union, and its allies, to talks in Switzerland on mutual troop reductions in Europe. The well timed announcement gives strong support to the ruling coalition's foreign policy - one of the major election issues. Another important issue is inflation, now more than six per cent a year in West Germany.

However, the latest opinion polls indicate that the ruling coalition is likely to win, in spite of a strong challenge from Dr. Rainer Barzel is Christian Democratic Party.