▁t anks ▁to ▁interven e ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁put ▁down ▁street ▁protest s ▁as ▁they ▁had ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁or ▁( in ▁Prag ue ), ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 8 . ▁▁ ▁New ▁Forum ▁was ▁not ▁cr ushed : ▁ ▁after ▁the ▁Berlin ▁Wall ▁was ▁bre ached ▁by ▁street ▁protest ers ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 8 9 ▁as ▁Soviet ▁forces ▁looked ▁on ▁but ▁did ▁nothing ▁to ▁interven e , ▁a ▁momentum ▁towards ▁a ▁more ▁dem ocr atic ▁future ▁for ▁East ▁Germany ▁gained ▁tra ction . ▁▁ ▁Ber tr am ▁Wie cz ore k ▁himself ▁res igned ▁from ▁New ▁Forum ▁at ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁year ▁and ▁in ▁January ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁CD U . ▁▁ ▁However , ▁during ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁the ▁CD U ▁in ▁East ▁Germany ▁system atically ▁transformed ▁its ▁relationship ▁to ▁the ▁old ▁East ▁German ▁political ▁establishment , ▁even ▁though ▁western ▁comment ators ▁( and ▁others ) ▁sometimes ▁strugg led ▁to ▁keep ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁significance ▁of ▁what ▁was ▁going ▁on . ▁ ▁The ▁East ▁German ▁general ▁election ▁of ▁March ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁[ and ▁as ▁matters ▁turned ▁out ▁last ] ▁free ▁and ▁fair ▁general ▁election ▁held ▁in ▁the ▁German ▁Democratic ▁Republic . ▁▁▁ ▁For ▁the ▁first ▁time , ▁East ▁German ▁vot ers ▁were ▁given ▁more ▁than ▁one ▁list ▁of ▁candidates ▁from ▁which ▁to ▁make ▁their ▁selection . ▁ ▁( In ▁previous ▁elections ▁the ▁choice ▁had ▁been ▁between ▁voting ▁for ▁the