MOSCOW, December 1 (RIA Novosti) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been re-elected chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party for the eighth time.

She was reelected by 84.83% of delegates at a party congress on Monday. Two years ago, Merkel, who has led the party since 1998, received over 93% of the vote.

Christian-Democratic Union/Christian Social Union (CDU/CSU) and the Social-Democratic Party (SPD) currently share power in a coalition government, following the elections in 2005, in which neither the CDU nor the SPD won enough seats to govern with their traditional small-party allies.

SPD, chaired by party veteran Franz Muentefering, selected in October German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier as the candidate to challenge Merkel in next year's election for the post of chancellor.