Dutch government 'collapses' in row over Afghanistan

[cal04]

Source: BBC

The Dutch government has collapsed over disagreements within the governing coalition on extending troop deployments in Afghanistan, media say.

The reports came following extensive talks between the coalition partners.

Christian Democratic Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende is considering a Nato request to extend the Dutch mission in Afghanistan beyond 2010.

However, the Labour party, a member of the centre-left coalition, has opposed the extension.



Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8525742.stm

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http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61J0FS20100220?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

[timeforpeace]

1. First government to fall because of the war in Afghanistan. Which one is next?

[Oregone]

7. Hopefully Canada

Wouldn't it be something to have Harper try and get them to abandon the 2011 withdraw and then find himself out on his ass

[StercusAccidit]

8. Wouldn't the first government to fall due to the war be the Afghani (Taliban) government?

[BB1]

11. The govt didn't excactly due to Afghanistan.

It was a breach of trust between the left leaning SoF and the right sided PM. Last night was a clash over extending the mission in Uruzgan, which all agreed not to extend two years ago.

Nevermind what it was about, here in Holland people are flying flags and lighting foreworks! Wohoo!!

[timeforpeace]

17. Thanks for the report. Maybe it will spread.

[DutchLiberal]

19. Which people are "flying flags" and "lighting fireworks"?

The only politician from the opposition who used that kind of language, was Geert Wilders, the extreme-right leader of the teabagger-like 'Freedom' Party.

[IndianaGreen]

14. Gordon Brown and his gang of merry New Labour!

I'll say good riddance!

[Spider Jerusalem]

16. Easy enough for you, you won't have to live under a Tory government

[IndianaGreen]

18. You should be voting for Nick Clegg's Liberal Democrats

They will bring all the British troops home.

[Spider Jerusalem]

26. I'm an American citizen but British resident

I'd vote Lib Dem if I could vote in British elections, which I can't (yet); but I'm also realistic enough to realise that the best hope of preventing a Tory government is a hung Parliament and a Liberal-Labour coalition of some sort (which is not very likely, really).

[IndianaGreen]

27. Nick Clegg threw cold water on a Liberal-Labour coalition in a hung Parliament

Clegg said that Liberal-Democrats would support the party that got the most seats in the even of a hung Parliament, even if it meant a Tory alliance. Clegg's reasoning is that Liberal Democrats must support the will of the plurality of voters.

[Spider Jerusalem]

34. That's questionable reasoning, I'd say.

Especially if the will of a majority of voters is 'not Tory'.

[DutchLiberal]

20. Blair's and Brown's Labour was nothing but Tory-light, anyway...

Just like Democrats are Republican-light and the Dutch Labour Party has become a conservative party. These patterns have been very similar in the 1980's and 1990's in the US, the UK and The Netherlands.

[Cassandra]

2. We manage to ruin everyone's country...

don't we?

[DutchLiberal]

21. Oh no, they did this completely to themselves...

During the elections of 2006, the Dutch Labour Party didn't want to form an alliance with the two real left-wing parties (the Green Party and the Socialist Party). They wanted to govern with the center-right Christian Democrats, even though no cabinet of Labour and Christian in history has ever survived, and prime-minister Balkenende of the Christian-Democrats characterized Labour leader Bos as a liar. After the elections, they had to form a coalition to reach a majority and from the very start, they have been fighting, over every single piece of legislation. They always put their own interest above the country's interest. (Sounds familiar?)

[cloudbase]

3. See what happens

when you let them gays in your army?

[Kurska]

4. Does this mean elections? n/t

[tekisui]

5. Yes. The ruling coalition collapsed.

Which is the government, but it is not a anarchic or coup-like situation.

[Kurska]

6. Thats what I figured, polls indicate there will be quite a shakeup then. n/t

[defendandprotect]

9. A promising sign of sanity--???

These wars are immoral and illegal -- and bankrupting our Treasury . . .

2 million innocent Muslims dead isn't enough?

A Taj Mahal of a US Embasy -- $700 million PLUS?

What insanity is this thing we're calling "America" -- ???

And "democracy" . . . ???

[demigoddess]

10. it is a crying shame we have to drag other countries into our stupidity.

I hope they send a clear message that the people do not want war.. wish we could send the same message. Our leaders are deaf and dumb. (that is dumb, not mute).

[vegiegals]

12. Good.

[BB1]

13. Why?

Care to elaborate?

[vegiegals]

15. I think promises should be kept. Simple as that.

[DutchLiberal]

22. I can't even begin to describe how embarrassing the past few days have been...

The cabinet is supposed to hold one position on any subject. (The cabinet is made up of different parties.) In the last couple of days, several ministers from different parties have basically called each other liars in the media (in more covered terms). A so-called 'emergency debate' was arranged in the 'House of Representatives' with both prime-minister Balkenende (Christian-Democratic Alliance) and vice-prime-minister Bos (Labour Party). Bos had said in the media that the Labour-ministers didn't want to extend the military mission in Uruzgan (south of Afghanistan). During the debate, Balkenende said all ministers should express the same position. But during the same debate, Bos repeated his statement, with Balkenende sitting next to him. Which led the opposition to conclude that we were ruled by "two different cabinets". It was really very embarrassing.

There will first be elections for city councils in March, and new elections for parliament are expected to be held in May. Until that time, it's expected that Queen Beatrix will accept the resignation of the Labour ministers and will order the ministers of the Christian-Democratic Alliance and Christian Union (the third party) to handle all things until then. (Yes, it's the 21st century and we still have a queen with actual power.)

[boppers]

23. Not south of Afghanistan, but south in (or southern) Afghanistan?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Or%C5%ABzg%C4%81n_Province

[DutchLiberal]

28. I meant to say: "in the south of Afghanistan"...

That's what comes from not having English as a first language. ;)

[boppers]

31. What, people speak languages other than English?

Imagine that. ;)

[Vidar]

25. I'm sorry your lovely country was dragged into our evil insanity. Best of fortune

in the upcoming elections.

[DutchLiberal]

29. Well, the Dutch did it to themselves...

The cabinet that has just collapsed was the fourth (!) in eight years headed by Christian-Democratic leader Balkenende. None of his cabinets have ever survived. Yet the people keep electing the fucker. Now you should know that this is a person who was one of Bush's closest allies and to this day continues to justify the Iraq war. He's been chosen to lead the Christian-Democrats once more in the next elections, and the party is still the biggest in the polls. It's like the people never learn... :(

[Vidar]

24. A thousand cheers for the Dutch Labour Party!

[DutchLiberal]

30. Nah... I reserve the cheers for the Socialist Party...

The Socialist Party was the only party in Dutch parliament to vote against the Dutch military mission in Afghanistan. They currently hold 25 (out of 150) seats in parliament. Polls indicate a 10 seat loss. I hope they'll recover.

[AngryAmish]

32. Stupid Flanders

[DutchLiberal]

33. ???

[Regret My New Name]

35. heh... It's AngryAmish... He's 'angry'

and hilarious

[DutchLiberal]

36. But what does Flanders (part of Belgium) have to do with it?

That's what I wanted to know.