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Ballot box mayoral election in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania (symbol image)
Photo: Bernd Wüstneck / dpa
The residents of Strasburg in the Vorpommern-Greifswald district voted out Mayor Heike Hammermeister-Friese (CDU).
As a spokeswoman for the election management said on Sunday, the 43-year-old head of administration was dismissed early according to the preliminary result of the referendum.
Of the 1,687 votes cast, 1,366 were voted out, which was more than a third of those eligible to vote.
At least 1299 votes would have been necessary for the deselection.
308 women and men wanted the mayor to remain in office.
"You can't work against a majority of the citizens," Hammermeister-Friese told the German Press Agency in Strasburg in the evening.
A rapid change at the top of the administration is now the best thing for the city.
If the election committee confirms the result on Tuesday, the head of administration will leave the administration on Wednesday.
Then there must be a new direct mayoral election in Strasburg in early summer 2023.
Hammermeister-Friese was originally elected mayor for seven years in 2018.
The city representatives of Strasburg decided on the referendum because there had been a dispute between the majority of the members and the mayor for months.
"Trust in the actions and the work of the mayor has been permanently disturbed," said a joint statement by the deputies.
The 43-year-old had initially rejected the resignation requested by them.
Around 4,500 people live in Strasburg, the only Uckermark town in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
czl/dpa