Elections

The Socialist Water Board Association (SWV) claims to defend the interests of renters, but its party leader Wiljo van Bennekum is a landlord, warns the Speculation Research Collective (SPOK). Others have called the party ‘bizarre’.

Elections for the District Water Boards have started. The SWV claims to defend the interests of renters and to have the support of ‘members’ of renters’ organisations. “Well, well, one imagines the red flag flying”, SPOK comments.

The city council of neighbouring town Diemen has passed a motion against Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen, because he compared Diemen to Sarah Palin’s home town Wasilla.

On Wednesday, Cohen told het Parool that he was ‘extremely happy’ that Palin will not be America’s vice-president. “With her, you got the feeling that someone who had been Mayor of Diemen for four years and Commissionor of the Flevoland Province for two years was aiming for the highest office”.

“My students are now handing out leaflets for Obama in America while I can’t get them interested in political activities in Europe”, Professor of Political Science Jos de Beus of the University of Amsterdam told NRC Handelsblad.

“America is still sexy. They acknowledge that global power relations are changing, but they still long for continuity of the existing world order”, he added.

Politicising district water boards is putting the safety of the Netherlands at risk, warns chairman Peter Vonk of the Algemene Waterschapspartij (AWP). New boards will be elected in the second half of November. For the first time, the candidates include representatives of political parties.

It is a bad idea to close the polling stations at 8 pm, says Jan Paternotte (D66). This may work in rural areas, but Amsterdammers have busy lives and should be allowed to vote until 10 pm, he argues.

State Secretary Ank Bijleveld has proposed to close polling stations at 8 pm instead of 9 pm. She argues that more time is needed to count votes since voting computers have been discarded for being untrustworthy. Further, few people would vote after 8 pm.

Chairman Rob Post of District Noord will participate in a study trip to the American presidential election. The district will pay the trip, which costs 8,000 euro, AD reports.

AD quotes a spokesperson saying that the trip will allow Post to promote the district among an ‘interesting group of participants’. The trip is organised by public broadcasting organisation NOS.

This week, Amsterdammer Bob Bragar will be at the Democratic Convention to represent Americans living abroad and argue for a responsible foreign policy. Meanwhile, volunteer Nina Huygen from Westerpark will help turn the convention into the ‘most unforgettable experience ever’.

Bragar, chairman of Democrats Abroad Netherlands (DANL), has been selected as one of the 22 people who will attend the convention, which starts today in Denver, as representatives of Democrats Abroad International.