Berlin, September 28, SPA -- Voting booths opened for Germany's general election at 8am (0600 GMT) on Sunday, amid expectations that Chancellor Angela Merkel of the Christian Democrats (CDU) would win a renewed mandate, ahead of Social Democrat (SPD) challenger Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Deutche Presse Agentur dpa reported. Merkel, whose CDU is expected to pick up the largest share of thevote, is hoping for enough support to enter a new centre-rightcoalition with the Free Democrats (FDP). Failing this, the most likely outcome would be a continuation ofthe "grand" centre-left coalition with the SPD. In the final hours of the election campaign the major parties weretrying to win over the undecided, as up to a third of those surveyedsaid they had not made up their mind.--SPA www.spa.gov.sa/704101