Dutch polls draw offbeat ideas from politicians
Print Edition
LEGALIZING all drugs, banning a blackface children’s character, scrapping Sunday shopping and introducing mobile apps to tell MPs how to vote are some of the unorthodox ideas being peddled by Dutch political parties.
Twenty-eight parties — a post-World War II record — are vying for the 150 seats in the centuries-old parliament when The Netherlands goes to the polls on March 15.
The country’s newest party, Artikel 1, founded late last year by former TV host Sylvana Simons to fight racism, has floated perhaps one of the most controversial ideas.
It entails banning a traditional Christmas-time character called Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) from public spaces.
The beloved jolly character accompanies Dutch Saint Nicolas in early December to hand out sweets to kids.
But foreigners are often shocked to see dozens of blackface men and women in gaudy costumes with red lips and afro wigs going on parade on the city streets.
Artikel 1 would ban Black Pete figures from public spaces, and proclaim July 1 as a national holiday to mark the abolition of slavery.
Meanwhile, should they get their say, the techno-savvy StemNL Party (VoteNL) proposes that all citizens should weigh in on draft legislation before the Dutch lower house via a mobile phone app.
After receiving an alert that MPs are about to cast ballots, the issue would be put up for a “citizens’ vote” through the app.
StemNL’s lawmakers will then rely on the outcome of the citizens’ poll to decide which way to vote.
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