German politician proposes seven-year limit on marriages

[amf]

MUNICH, Germany (AFP) - A conservative German politician on Wednesday proposed making marriage contracts expire after seven years, with the option to renew for those not feeling the proverbial itch.

"I propose that marriages lapse after seven years," Gabriele Pauli told reporters in Munich, the capital of the largely Catholic southern state of Bavaria.

"This would mean that one will only commit for a fixed period and will actively have to renew your vows if you still want to continue."

Pauli, 50, has been divorced twice.

The proposal is part of her manifesto as she prepares to contest the leadership of Bavaria's governing party, the ultra-conservative Christian Social Union (CSU), next week.

The CSU is the sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and the leadership is being vacated by a strategic ally of the chancellor, Edmund Stoiber, who has also been premier of Bavaria for more than a decade.

Stoiber in January agreed to step down at the end of September after a party rebellion led by Pauli.

Shortly afterward he announced his decision, Pauli caused a stir by posing for magazine pictures as a dominatrix wearing long latex gloves.

She is facing stiff competition for the CSU leadership from Agriculture Minister Horst Seehofer and regional Economy and Transportation Minister Erwin Huber.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070919/od_afp/germanysocialmarriagepoliticsoffbeat_070919190221

[MUANA MBOKA]

Now where are morals rushing to,the world is coming to an end,next we will hear them propose that husbands and wives should sign contracts to limit the amount of nookie in the bedroom because of poor production when people report for work.

[amf]

I kind of agree with her. 70% of marriages in the United States end up in divorce anyway.

Europe is more liberal, so I expect the number to be higher.

As for Africa, we copy western ways with 'blatant blindness' -- so we are right behind them.

In this hypocritical and manipulative world, where women want to be men and vice-versa, and the two genders have totally lost direction in terms of 'role-playing,' I think marriage has lost meaning, and it ought to be a legally binding contract -- just like the 'liberal' lady says.

[MUANA MBOKA]

It would be interesting to see what happens when this law in introduced.In the african set up,it would bring about desperation on the part of woman or men that depend on their partners when the contracts are about to cease!They will be thinking''is my contract gonna be renewed or what and where do i go if am made redundant''