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'Mabelgate' wreaks havoc
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D66 considers
basic income gra
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Contents
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Holland Neve
Economics
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page 07
WOIR IHaw www* j"»
should set your watch
or clock to 02:00.
"TERRORIST ATTACK" FOILED An
alleged terrorist plot to carry out an attack some
where in The Netherlands has been halted by the
Dutch Police and Justice departments. Five
alleged terrorists were arrested last Friday, the
Justice Department announced on Wednesday.
Four were immediately charged by a court, while
the fifth was released due to lack of evidence.
The arrests followed a tip-off from the A1VD, or
Dutch Intelligence Service. Authorities refused
to provide information as to the supposed target
of the attacks,
PVDA: "MORE HOUSES" The Amsterdam
branch of the Social Democratic Party (PvdA)
wants the City Council to reserve €10 million for
next year's budget for the construction of houses.
The party argues this is necessary because of
housing corporations' unwillingness to build
houses unless at least 70% of them are sold
beforehand. Giving these corporations subsidies
will reduce their costs, and give them the finan
cial incentive to erect more homes.
TWO SUSPECTS RE-ARRESTED two
boys, who looked on as German junkie Anja
Joos was beaten to death on Monday 6 October,
were re-arrested on Wednesday, after they had
been released from police custody last week.
One of the two is a minor. The boys were
released after the City Prosecutor said there was
insufficient evidence against them. They arc cur
rently awaiting trial.
NO DRUGS FOR FOREIGNERS Minister
of Justice Piet-Hein Donner wants to prohibit
Dutch coffee shops from selling soft drugs to
foreigners, he told a meeting of European
Government ministers in Berlin, after Germany
strongly critized Hollands tolerant drug policies.
Donner proposed that people purchasing soft
drugs be required to present proof of their Dutch
nationality at the shops' counters
The controversy surrounding Mabel Wisse Smit, the fiancée of Dutch Prince Friso,
continues to cause problems for the Dutch Royal Family and the Cabinet after
media reports have claimed that Wisse Smit was involved in illegal arms trading.
Text: Leers
i imondaT! [tuesday i
A national television station alleged on Tuesday
that Wisse Smit, who has already come under
fire for having had a relationship with a Dutch
drug lord, may be under investigation for mdt-
rectlv helping the Bosnian m.btary acquire
weapons during the civil war in the Balkans,
which raged in the 1900s. The United Nations
had declared an arms embargo on the Balkans
which prohibited the sale of weapons to any of
^;va war Wtsse
tog Wisse Smit resulted in political parties in
Parliament filing questions for Prime Minister
Jan Peter Balkenende, -.^r -j
continued on PAGE 2
Number 06 October 24 2003 wt
The leader of Holland's Demi
Party, D66, has called for the int
tion of a "very low" standard i
for all Hollanders as a replacem
the country's "expensive" soci
fare system.
Boris Dittrich. in an interview 1
Amsterdam Times, said, "the [Dutcf
state should be revised drastically. T
was invented in tlx* 1950s and ne
revised very soon. We just cannot bur
in the sand if we still intend to be as s
were in the past." D66 is, with th
Peoples Parly for Freedom and Deir
the CDA, or Christian Democratic
of the three political parties that r
Dutch Government. It is the smallcs
coalition, with a total of only six se
it has a reputation for getting its
succeeded in persuading the WD
agree to leave Holland's gay n
untouched and revise the system
elections of mayors.
Dittrich said the revision of social
Netherlands was unavoidable
Holland's ageing population.
Members of the party investigate
a basic income gram some tim
have never come quite as clo
majority in their party to agree I
j they arc now. One party in
I Boogcrd, who is also a Mcmbei
Parliament, argued years ago i
tion of a standard income, pro1
would be cheaper for the gover
than the current system of soci
But, because a majority of th
criticised what they saw as b
advantages, it was never off
the party as a whole. Dittrii
"A standard income for all1
very low income, of course,
can abolish all welfare bent
ment and disability. Of ct
i about this idea that is arguat
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