East Germany’s last leader accuses Gorbachev of duplicity

MOSCOW - The last leader of erstwhile Communist East Germany has accused Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union, of duplicity in his negotiations in the days leading up to the collapse of the Berlin Wall.

While presenting his new book “Autumn 1989″ in Moscow, Egon Krenz made the comments about the former Soviet leader.

Krenz, who headed the East German Communist Party for less than two months as the regime crumbled, says Gorbachev assured him in November 1989 that there was no plan to strip East Germany of its sovereignty.

But, said Krenz, Gorbachev was negotiating with the West at the same time about a possible German reunification.

Krenz, 72, appeared on Russian national television Wednesday, mingling with former Soviet officials and still showing a solid command of Russian.