Excerpt:
German political leaders voiced relief Monday at a cross-party consensus to appoint 72-year-old human-rights advocate, Joachim Gauck, as the country's next president - but there was also criticism of the choice.
His formal appointment by a 1,240-person constitutional assembly on March 18 to replace Christian Wulff, who resigned on Friday amid corruption allegations, is expected to be straightforward.
Gauck, who is to be nominated by four main political blocs, will be the first former East German to occupy the mainly ceremonial post. Like Chancellor Angela Merkel, he grew up under communism and became an ardent critic of leftists.