Nieuws van de afdeling

15 November 2007

Military action in Uruzgan is ineffective: Invest instead in real development workers

That Defence Minister Eimert van Middelkoop stated at a recent debate organised by this newspaper – the Reformatorisch Dagblad (RD) -that he is funds to prolong the military mission in the Afghan province of Uruzgan is something to which Harry van Bommel, Member of Parliament and foreign affairs spokesman for the SP, is completely opposed. Below, he argues that the money would be better spent on real development workers.

14 November 2007

Poles Depart

A Dutch MP looks into the consequences of mass emigration for Poland and its people

13 November 2007

EU must keep its hands off our criminal law

The European Commission is proposing that the synthetic drug 1-benzylpiperazine be made illegal in all European Union member states. This would mean that for the first time member states would be forced to amend their criminal law as it relates to drugs, a dangerous precedent for the Netherlands.

1 November 2007

Referendum "initiative law" proposed: Premier Balkenende "evasive and dishonest"

SP Member of Parliament and European affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel today presented the proposed "initiative law", a measure required under the Dutch constitution before a referendum can be called. In proposing the law, the SP was joined by four small opposition parties: the Green Left, the centrist D66, the right-wing populists of the Freedom Party (PVV) and the single-issue animal rights party the PvdD.

30 October 2007

Silent Vigil for Al Mansouri at Iranian Embassy

The silent vigil outside the Iranian Embassy organised this evening by the SP in order to put pressure on the Iranian authorities not to carry out the death penalty on Dutch human rights campaigner Abdulla Al Mansouri won impressive support. A large number of SP Members of Parliament were joined by colleagues from the Green Left and the PVV (Freedom Party) as well as Amnesty International director Eduard Nazarski.

29 October 2007

SP urges government to act to save life of Dutch activist condemned to death in Iran

SP Member of Parliament Harry van Bommel is urging the government to use every means at its disposal to save the life of Dutch human rights activist Abdulla al Mansouri. Not only should the Iranian ambassador be called to account, but the Netherlands' ambassador in Tehran must be recalled to discuss the matter, he argues. An Iranian court has passed a death sentence on Al Mansouri, citing 'terrorist activities'.

International