Nieuws van de afdeling

3 March 2008

SP Observer Endorses Council of Europe Team’s Verdict on Russian Elections: ‘Medvedev elected as voters are duped’

Although the result of the Russian Presidential election was in line with the will of most Russian voters, the basic conditions which these voters should be able to expect from democratic elections were not fulfilled.

1 March 2008

SP's Senator Kox Reports from Moscow as Russia Votes

Moscow – Saturday 1 March. On Sunday Russia elects a new President. The polling stations are not yet open but the result is already certain. The successor to President Vladimir Putin will be Vice-Premier Dmitri Medvedev. His three opponents have no shadow of a chance in a campaign which has raised a number of questions for the Council of Europe's observers. One of these is the SP's Senate leader Tiny Kox, who reports from Moscow.

29 February 2008

Enquiry established into tax on multinationals’ profits

Following strong pressure from the SP and Green Left, Secretary of State for Finance Jan Kees de Jager has promised an enquiry into the amount of tax paid by multinational corporations (MNCs). SP Member of Parliament Ewout Irrgang, the party's parliamentary spokesman on financial affairs, has the strong suspicion that in the Netherlands major MNCs pay very little indeed in the way of taxes.

29 February 2008

Mission to Chad and Central African Republic leaves many questions unanswered

The SP has serious doubts about the Dutch contribution to the EUFOR mission in Chad and the Central African republic, to which today's decision in the national council of ministers committed the Netherlands. The humanitarian situation in the region is grievous, but the role of the French in the mission leaves the neutrality essential to a peace-keeping force open to question.

29 February 2008

Biggest arms order of the century result of biggest Labour U-turn

“By agreeing to the acquisition of the first Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft, the PvdA (Labour Party) is not only giving the green light to the biggest arms order of the century, but also making the biggest U-turn of all time," according to SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen. “If Labour were in government not a single JSF would be bought, that's what the PvdA's defence spokesman swore. Labour leader Wouter Bos made an election broadcast in which he said that money earmarked for the JSF would be redeployed and spent on nursing homes. The problems afflicting care for elderly people have not been solved and yet they are going ahead with spending the money on the JSF. Even by Labour Party standards this is a turnaround of unprecedented shamelessness."

28 February 2008

Government must put pressure on Kenya

SP Member of Parliament Ewout Irrgang is urging the government to do all in its power to persuade European Union partners to adopt a ban on politicians from Kenya involved in the ongoing blood-letting in the country from travelling to Europe. The SP development spokesman raised the demand during Tuesday's debate with Minister for Development Cooperation Bert Koenders.

International