Former FDP General Secretary Dirk Niebel had wanted strip the Development Ministry of its independence. But he appears to have done an about-face since he was appointed to just that cabinet post in the new centre right coalition.Now he is engaged in ensuring that the ministry become more importance and receive a funding increase. And he says he would like to blaze new trails. He has already called for increased aid for Afghanistan,for example,in close consultation with the German military,the Bundeswehr. In addition,he says Germany's economic interests should receive more consideration when it comes to development aid. The opposition and the country's major non-governmental organizations are alarmed. They fear that the humanitarian aspects of development policy could receive short shrift.