A leading member of Germany's opposition has resigned from parliament after becoming embroiled in the financial scandal dogging the party.

	Reputation at risk The scandal so far The unification chancellor

Former Interior Minister Manfred Kanther quit as calls grew for other senior party figures to step down.

The Christian Democrat (CDU) leadership has arranged an emergency meeting for Tuesday to discuss the scandal.

The scandal involves the covering up of illegal, secret donations to the CDU and is reaching into all sections of the party.

A criminal investigation has already been launched into the activities of former Chancellor Helmut Kohl, who is accused of running secret accounts and failing to declare millions of marks in party donations.

Party leader Wolfgang Schaeuble is facing growing pressure to resign after admitting that he accepted campaign donations from the arms dealer whose revelations started the affair.

And Mr Kanther admitted last week that he had falsified party accounts to conceal undeclared funds in Swiss bank accounts.

Mr Kanther was also a leading CDU figure in Hesse state where local conservatives confessed that last year's successful regional election campaign had been part-financed from illegal funds.

A BBC correspondent says the public impression is of a party corrupted by 16 years in power.

Clean break

Chancellor Gerhard Shroeder has called for a re-run of the Hesse election although Roland Koch, the CDU's regional leader has insisted he will not resign or call a new election.

But Christian Wuff, another CDU regional leader, said: "We have to make a very radical break and cut ourselves off from all those who are caught up in these scandals."

Mr Kohl's CDU leadership included 16 years in power and Mr Schaeuble was handpicked to succeed him as party leader.

Both men have been summoned before a parliamentary inquiry, which is to hold its first meeting later this week.

The CDU, under Mr Kohl, introduced the party financing law which requires donations exceeding DM20,000 (US$10,000) to be declared.

The CDU decision to hold an emergency meeting has heightened speculation in Germany that heads are about to roll.

But our correspondent says Mr Schaeuble is unlikely to resign of his own accord and, even if he does go there is no obvious successor as most of the party's leading figures have been tainted by the scandal.