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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Close contest as Dutch cast votes | Close contest as Dutch cast votes |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| Dutch voters have begun casting their ballots in parliamentary elections, with late opinion polls showing as many as 40% of them undecided. | Dutch voters have begun casting their ballots in parliamentary elections, with late opinion polls showing as many as 40% of them undecided. |
| Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's Christian Democrats are expected to emerge as the largest party. | Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende's Christian Democrats are expected to emerge as the largest party. |
| But the opposition Labour Party has been narrowing the gap. | But the opposition Labour Party has been narrowing the gap. |
| Neither right nor left blocs are expected to win the 76 seats to secure a majority and talks to form a coalition could be protracted. | Neither right nor left blocs are expected to win the 76 seats to secure a majority and talks to form a coalition could be protracted. |
| Some experts say the Socialist Party's rise in the polls show a left-wing coalition could pose a real challenge to the centre-right coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDA) and liberals (VVD). | Some experts say the Socialist Party's rise in the polls show a left-wing coalition could pose a real challenge to the centre-right coalition of the Christian Democrats (CDA) and liberals (VVD). |
| The CDA-led governing coalition collapsed in June after a row over its handling of the disputed citizenship of a Somali-born Dutch politician. | The CDA-led governing coalition collapsed in June after a row over its handling of the disputed citizenship of a Somali-born Dutch politician. |
| Polling stations close at 2000 GMT with unofficial exit poll results expected immediately and partial results an hour later. | Polling stations close at 2000 GMT with unofficial exit poll results expected immediately and partial results an hour later. |
| Immigration | Immigration |
| In a live TV debate on the eve of the election, the party leaders focused mainly on welfare reforms rather than immigration. | In a live TV debate on the eve of the election, the party leaders focused mainly on welfare reforms rather than immigration. |
| href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/europe_dutch_elections/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/europe_dutch_elections/html/1.stm', '1164195856', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;">Dutch voters in Amsterdam give their views on the elections href="/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/europe_dutch_elections/html/1.stm" onClick="window.open('http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/pop_ups/06/europe_dutch_elections/html/1.stm', '1164195856', 'toolbar=0,scrollbars=0,location=0,statusbar=0,menubar=0,resizable=1,width=500,height=400,left=312,top=100'); return false;" >In pictures The immigration issue had gripped Dutch politics since the high-profile murders of two prominent campaigners against Muslim extremism - independent politician Pim Fortuyn and film-maker Theo van Gogh. | |
| On Friday, the cabinet backed a proposal to ban face-covering clothing, including the burqa worn by some Muslim women. | On Friday, the cabinet backed a proposal to ban face-covering clothing, including the burqa worn by some Muslim women. |
| The main parties have both embraced pro-integration policies - a departure from the Dutch tradition of multiculturalism. | The main parties have both embraced pro-integration policies - a departure from the Dutch tradition of multiculturalism. |
| Mr Balkenende has also been claiming credit for a strong economic recovery in the country in the past few years. | Mr Balkenende has also been claiming credit for a strong economic recovery in the country in the past few years. |
| Labour leader Wouter Bos hopes his party will be able to successfully challenge the CDA or at least force its way into a so-called grand coalition. | Labour leader Wouter Bos hopes his party will be able to successfully challenge the CDA or at least force its way into a so-called grand coalition. |
| However, the BBC's Sam Wilson in Amsterdam says polls suggest that many left-wing voters dissatisfied with the government's spending cuts seem ready to turn to the Socialist Party rather than Labour, whom they believe sound too willing to jump into a coalition bed with the CDA. | However, the BBC's Sam Wilson in Amsterdam says polls suggest that many left-wing voters dissatisfied with the government's spending cuts seem ready to turn to the Socialist Party rather than Labour, whom they believe sound too willing to jump into a coalition bed with the CDA. |
| The latest projections give Mr Balkenende's CDA about 41 seats compared to about 38 for Labour. | The latest projections give Mr Balkenende's CDA about 41 seats compared to about 38 for Labour. |
| But the uncertain voters could still make a big difference. | But the uncertain voters could still make a big difference. |
| Some analysts think the Socialist Party could leap from nine seats to 23. | Some analysts think the Socialist Party could leap from nine seats to 23. |