Germany's outgoing president controversial to the end

Germany's former president Christian Wulff was set to be honored at a torchlit military ceremony later Thursday after leaving office early under the cloud of a political favors probe. Nearly three weeks after resigning, Wulff, 52, will be officially waved off from the largely ceremonial job at a nationally televised evening "Ceremonial Tattoo" in the garden of the president's sumptuous Bellevue Palace. Wulff, for less than two years Germany's youngest head of state, became embroiled in a quick-fire series of scandals played out in the media, culminating in prosecutors asking parliament to lift his immunity. Even the ceremony itself has proved controversial, with opposition politicians calling on Wulff to forgo the tradition due to the circumstances of his departure. "Somebody who failed in office is having a farewell ceremony as if he did great things for Germany," the head of the Social Democratic Party, Sigmar Gabriel, told Wednesday's Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper. None of Wulff's predecessors -- Walter Scheel, Richard von Weizsaecker, Roman Herzog and Horst Koehler -- will attend, according to media reports. However, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who chose Wulff as her candidate for president, and many of her ministers, will be present at the event called a "Grosser Zapfenstreich" ("strike the tap") in German. And the head of Germany's Turkish community said he would also attend to honor Wulff, who, as president, stated that Islam was part of German life. "I think it's important that I thank him once again for his work, in the name of the Turkish community and in the name of all Turks in Germany," Kenan Kolat told German radio. Bundeswehr soldiers carrying flaming torches take part and music chosen by Wulff is played by the military band. His choices include "Over the Rainbow" from the movie "The Wizard of Oz" and Beethoven's "Ode To Joy", the anthem adopted by the European Union. According to mass circulation daily Bild's online edition, he also considered "Ebony And Ivory" by Paul McCartney but it was deemed too difficult for the trumpets. Some 73 percent of people said Wulff could not make a political comeback, according to a poll published Thursday by YouGov for Germany's DPA news agency. Fifteen percent said he could again hold political office. Nearly 80 percent said they would like to see the president, who acts as the country's moral compass, chosen by the people. Currently, the president is elected by a special body of MPs and dignitaries. Wulff's successor, Joachim Gauck, 72, an East German Lutheran pastor and human rights activist, is due to be elected on March 18 with the backing of all main political parties. Wulff landed in hot water late last year when Bild reported he had failed to declare a home loan secured at an advantageous rate from a wealthy friend's wife while Lower Saxony state premier. A barrage of negative press coverage followed, largely over ties with wealthy businessmen, until prosecutors in Hanover, Lower Saxony, sought to lift his immunity to probe allegations he had enjoyed favours from a film producer friend. Wulff resigned the following day. He will receive an annual life pension of 199,000 euros ($262,000). The ceremony, which in its current form dates back to early 19th century Prussia, is held for departing German presidents, chancellors and defense ministers or high-ranking military. Former defense minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg was also honored with the ceremony after resigning last year when his doctorate was rescinded for plagiarism.