Dutch on course for split result
By Kate Michael,WNS Netherlands Correspondent
AMSTERDAM - With 97% of votes in the Dutch election counted, the governing Christian Democrats are ahead, having taken 41 seats, but remain short of a majority. Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende has claimed victory, saying his party is again the biggest group in parliament. If confirmed, Mr Balkenende will get the first chance to form a coalition, but the process could be lengthy.
According to the partial results, the opposition Labour party remains the second biggest party with 32 seats. The Dutch are split between parties tough on immigration and pro-business, and left-leaning parties with a softer approach, correspondents say. Neither the right nor left blocs were on course to win the 76 seats needed to control the 150-seat parliament. The Christian Democrats' (CDA) current coalition partners, the Liberals (VVD), won 22 seats, meaning the CDA would need to include several more parties to reach a working majority. Nonetheless CDA members have been celebrating the result. "We are the biggest party again... the effort of four years of struggle has been rewarded and that makes me proud, " Mr Balkenende told supporters.
According to the latest figures from the Dutch Electoral Council, the Socialists were the biggest winners of the night, now occupy third place with 26 seats. "We expected to double our seats but this is absolutely fantastic. I am proud the Netherlands wants to move left," said Socialist Party MP Agnes Kant. The other big winner was the anti-immigration Party for Freedom, PVV, led by Geert Wilders, which took 9 seats. The Christian Union won six seats, as did the Green party, while the Party for Animals is likely to win two seats, a result which would make it the first animal rights party in a European parliament. The split vote will make any coalition hard to pin together, our correspondent says, and people are already talking about protracted coalition talks, or even a "monster" coalition involving right and left.
posted by wnsworld @ 3:15 AM
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