 Complete the following phrase:  The East German general election of 18 March 1990 is widely seen as the first and last free and fair general election in the forty year history of the German Democratic Republic. For those who view history backwards it was also a step down the inevitable path to German reunification. Certainly over in Bonn Chancellor Kohl who by this time enjoyed far more cordial relationship with Soviet party General Secretary Gorbachev than any member of the East German government leadership already saw a clear road ahead whereby the 