BERLIN, May 24 (Xinhuanet) -- German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder said Tuesday he would not make a formal coalition commitment to his junior partner in the government, the Green Party, in the upcoming early general election.

    "In an election campaign, everyone seeks to win as many votes as possible against every other competitor," Schroeder told weekly newspaper Die Zeit.

    He stressed he did not mean an end to the coalition between his Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Green Party, which has existed for seven years.

    "I want the SPD to be the strongest party," he said.

    After SPD's defeat in elections in the key state of North Rhine-Westphalia at the weekend, there is no ruling Red-Green coalition at state level in Germany.

    Schroeder will present a vote of confidence in his government to parliament on July 1, the first step towards an early general election which will probably be held on Sept. 18 Enditem