German regional lawmaker admits drawing swastika on ballot paper next to far-right candidate's name

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BERLIN (AP) — A German regional lawmaker admitted Friday that he drew a swastika next to a far-right candidate's name in a state parliament vote and said he was giving up his post as a deputy speaker of the legislature.

The speaker of the legislature in the southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg said Thursday that someone had drawn the Nazi symbol on a ballot paper in a vote for a regional cross-border body that includes representatives from Germany as well as neighboring France and Switzerland.

The far-right, anti-immigration Alternative for Germany party, known by its acronym AfD, had tried and failed to get nominees elected.

Using the swastika is illegal in Germany and falls under a ban on the symbols of unconstitutional organizations.

The speaker, Muhterem Aras, described the incident as “a disgrace for this parliament.” But, since it was a secret vote, it was not immediately clear who was responsible.

On Friday, Daniel Born, a deputy speaker of the legislature and member of the center-left Social Democrats, said that he had drawn the symbol next to the name of an AfD lawmaker.

He described his actions in a statement as a “serious mistake” and apologized. He said that he was stepping down as deputy speaker and leaving his party's parliamentary group.

Aras called for him to give up his parliamentary seat, German news agency dpa reported.

Born said that he had not intended to make out that a far-right lawmaker had drawn the symbol. “On the contrary, in a knee-jerk reaction, I wanted to show that votes for AfD are always votes for right-wing hatred and agitation, no matter in what election," he said.

AfD has firmly established itself as a force in German politics since it was formed 12 years ago, even as it has drifted steadily to the right.

In Germany's national election in February, it finished second with 20.8% of the vote, and is now the biggest opposition party in Berlin. However, mainstream parties refuse to work with it.

Born said in his statement that “it no longer leaves me a minute's peace” that people are increasingly getting used to the party.