Bavarian State Premier Edmund Stoiber, conservative challenger to
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in the upcoming (September) general
elections greets his supporters after his speech during the traditional
Ash Wednesday meeting of his Christian Social Union (CSU) party in
Passau's Nibelungen hall, Februray 13, 2002. More than 7000
conservative supporters came from all over Germany to take part in the
50th Ashwednesday meeting in Passau. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach REUTERS

KP/WS