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Nieuws van de afdeling

16 December 2006

SP receives token of thanks from Iraq

This Saturday saw the SP's Party Council meet for the first time since the elections of 22nd November. The Party Council, which gathered in Utrecht, is the SP's ruling body, subordinate only to national congress. Every branch is represented, and most MPs and MEPs attend as guests, while the party's senior paid staff are there to discuss matters with the Council's members. Most of the discussion centred around the campaign, but delegates also had the pleasure of hearing a short speech from Faisal Nasser, an SP member of Iraqi origin. Once a refugee from his own country, he is now heavily involved in its reconstruction. He presented the SP with a token of gratitude in the form of a beautifully decorated dish, a gift from Tammuz, an Iraqi organisation dedicated to bringing peace, democracy and independence to the war-torn, occupied country.

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16 December 2006

Van Bommel: Defence Minister Kamp is dragging Netherlands ever further into ‘dirty war’

With the participation in the NATO operation in the Panjaway Valley in Kandahar, Defence Minister Henk Kamp is dragging the Netherlands ever further into the dirty war in Afghanistan. SP Member of Parliament and foreign affairs spokesman Harry van Bommel made the allegation in calling on the minister to appear this Tuesday before Parliament. Last Friday an operation began involving British, Danish and Estonian forces. According to reports, Dutch troops equipped with helicopters and fighter planes will also take part.

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13 December 2006

Open borders for workers from new EU member states: Employment Secretary forced to back down

Right-wing liberal (VVD) Employment and Social Affairs Secretary Henk Van Hoof's plan to remove, from January 1st, any form of controls on the entry of workers from eastern Europe has suffered parliamentary defeat. During the debate preceding the vote, Jan de Wit, SP Member of Parliament and spokesman on employment issues, called on the Secretary of State to 'drop his hastily-conceived, ill-considered plans' which he described as 'too drastic and too far-reaching.' As the vote demonstrated, a large majority shared this view.

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12 December 2006

Olmert ‘recognises' the existence of Israel's nuclear arsenal: time at last to free Vanunu

SP Member of Parliament Krista van Velzen has asked Foreign Minister Ben Bot to comment on the results of his talks with Israeli premier Ehud Olmert, who recently implied that his country is a nuclear power. Ms Van Velzen wants the Dutch government to put pressure on Israel to lift continuing restrictions on the freedom of nuclear weapons whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu.

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11 December 2006

SP leader Jan Marijnissen: CDA – SP cooperation unfortunately not possible

On the basis of exploratory meetings between the 'informateur' – a neutral person appointed by the Queen to advise on the composition of a new government – and the leaders of the Christian Democrats (CDA), the Labour Party (PvdA) and the SP, it now seems unlikely that the three parties will be able to form a coalition government. Mr Rein Jan Hoekstra's conclusion after repeated talks was that the differences between, in particular, CDA and SP were too great to allow them 'to come in the short term' to an agreement enabling 'stable and fruitful cooperation'. This decision stems from the CDA's desire to take the policies of the pre-election government of Jan Peter Balkenende as its starting point, policies which it seems determined to continue. In addition, the CDA is reluctant to put itself in a position where it forms the minority of a cabinet composed of its own ministers but also those of two parties to its left, the PvdA and the SP. It is particularly unwilling to do this given the clear majority in parliament of parties favouring a change in policy.

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8 December 2006

REACH: Industry more important than public interest

The SP will vote next week against the directive introducing a new system of controls on chemicals, REACH. Explaining the decision, SP Euro-MP and European Parliament Environment and Public Health Committee member Kartika Liotard said, “This is one more example of power politics in which the interests of industry have been put before those of the general public.” Referring to the United Left Group/Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL), in which the SP’s members participate, she said that “My group together with the Greens will be submitting an alternative package of amendments.”

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