Verdonk disintegrates bill

Slow and sedentary politics

Dutch politics is based on a consensus, compromise and collaboration model simply called the Polder Model. This is understandable because it does take time, effort, negotiation, horse-trading and resources for rival forces to band together to create infrastructure to reclaim land from the sea, seeing that a third of what is the Netherlands land mass was once the sea.

The national elections took place on the 22^nd of November 2006 and we are just about to get a new cabinet; a coalition of the CDA (Christian Democrats), the PvDA (Labour Party) and Christian Unie (Christian Union), leaving us with a right-leaning government with a social bias.

Expect, abortion, prostitution, drugs, euthanasia and immigration to get a new looking at especially where certain right-wing politicians have carved a representation in the Dutch parliament, ready to cause upheaval and controversy on any issue to gain media prominence.

Disintegrating our peace again

Talking of immigration, Mrs. Rita Verdonk, got elected for the very first time and retained her ministerial portfolio as part of the out-going cabinet, however, within days of the new parliament being sworn in, Lady Oddjob who has done much to upset the applecart of Dutch politics was relieved of the immigration part of her Integration and Immigration ministry as a sop to the parliament.

In my mind she has been more about disintegration and emigration, but despite all attempts to censure her for activities inimical to societal cohesion, these have failed and rather brought Jan-Pieter Balkenende's cabinet down to its knees leading to a fall of the government and an election, all in the name of keeping the polder together, the Dutch way - other democracies would have summarily sacked her to save the government their blushes.

Anyway, a bill Mrs. Verdonk had submitted to parliament for consideration in her ministerial capacity as one of the last acts of this cabinet had suffered extensive amendments that it did not look like what the strict matron ordered. The story.

After intemperate language and high jinx, rather than have the bill voted on, she created enough discomfort in parliament as she tried to withdraw the bill and then all settled for not voting on it all.

Not really as the Dutch intended

Living in the Netherlands, there are quite a number things I have to adjust to, one of which is, people can express an opinion but must not obstinately stand their ground regardless of the rightness of their views, it is considered disruptive.

What is then termed tolerance becomes a situation where your view is noted and if not acted upon, you allow things to happen.

Some politicians are deviating from this Dutch norm; the premise of the Polder Model is attacked with extreme pronouncements and controversial positions which portend to celebrate the adherence to rules. Mrs. Verdonk comes to the fore on this, just as much as Geert Wilders and Ayaan Hirsi Ali who is now resident in the United States.

So, the parliamentarians resolved this debate by first trying to stop the bickering and then passing the bill on to the next cabinet to consider.

As one Member of Parliament said, of Verdonk, "Everything she does is one big power play. When she used the term "unacceptable," we had no desire to continue with the game any longer."

The power plays would not end here when she reverts to an ordinary member of the parliament, she would still be gunning for the leadership of the Illiberal Party (VVD) and making waves to topple Balkenende's fourth cabinet in as many years.

If I had tears to shed, they would be for those whose lives have been dehumanized by the mechanistic adherence to immigration rules to the detriment of humane consideration of their circumstances.

It is not Good Riddance, but Good Bye and thanks for your service to the country; hopefully, there would be no other opportunity to require your services again.

References

The Verdonk Blog trail

The Lady Oddjob Blog trail

Lady Oddjob is now at odds

Populist but dangerously at odds

They finally had the bottle to do it and rightly so. Lady Oddjob has had her hat thrown at her and she has been decapitated – well not literally.

Readers of my blog would think I have had it in for Mrs. Verdonk for all her populist policies on integration and immigration, which display an overarching toughness but belie a seething illiberal xenophobia that is gaining acceptance amongst the Dutch.

She has on 5 occasions been called to the Dutch Parliament to explain her actions but there was always a détente, a hesitation, and an almost there that there were never enough votes to sanction her.

But Mrs. Verdonk has been no end of trouble for her party and the cabinet in which her party help a minor coalition participation, part of which lead to the fall of the cabinet in the middle of the year.

Popular but unliked

Whilst she did garner more votes than her party leader, in general, she was not aligned to the Dutch way of doing things in government, the parliament now stung or refreshed by the elections of November 22 have now successfully passed a motion of no confidence on her.

The kind of brinkmanship where the Prime Minister just detached himself from responding to the displeasure of parliament had reached a point where there were just enough votes this time to get it over and done with.

She obviously has been unable to take the hint that she is the issue and even if she is not, other people in office with any iota of integrity and self-respect would have stepped-down.

Not Mrs. Verdonk, she would tough it out, like she has always done, till it becomes untenable for the team in which she is a junior member to maintain any credibility. She is a blind Samson who is ready to bring down the temple on herself but taking all the worshippers down too in her suicide mission.

The cabinet which is for now in caretaker mode should now just sacrifice the lady for the stability of governance rather than chuck it all in as they are wont to do in general.

Popular party of one?

Mrs. Verdonk is a junior minister, the indictment is against her intransigence and obstinate demeanour that gets its lifeblood from the Zombie-ist – Rules are the rules – mantra.

We might finally get a minister that would handle the portfolio of Integration and Immigration with a humane perspective because for all her strengths, she worked to disintegrate and make others emigrate.

She might just end up starting her own party, though it is unlikely that she would do anymore harm to the government that what has been done to this comatose cabinet in life-support.

I am beginning to have faith in the Dutch Parliament and it is high time.

References

The Lady Oddjob Blog Trail

The Verdonk Blog Trail

Verdonk in leadership slam dunk - Update

Goats in, Votes out

After the Dutch elections last week, I am still gob smacked about how the results have turned out. The ruling party (Christian Democratic Appeal - CDA) with its burgher, lack-lustre, dour leader who at times appears in need of a radical charismatic lobotomy after his anti-Harry Potter makeover, lead the team to another electoral victory.

He would now have a fourth bite at the cherry in 4 years, even the Dutch should be getting election weary.

Victory, in the sense that they won more seats in the Second Chamber, but 76 are needed to have a majority government, they got 41 losing 3 seats from the last time and needing 35 to form a majority government.

The opposition Labour Party got 33 losing 9 seats; the Socialist Party increased their share from 9 to 25 and the Liberal Party (VVD), the party of the Minister of dis-Integration and Emigration – Mrs Rita Verdonk, lost 4 seats to end up being the fourth party with 22 seats.

A Dutch coalition of pain

The old coalition of CDA, VVD and D66 would only garner 66 seats; however, it is unlikely that D66 would play having lost half their seats nor would they be seen in cahoots with Verdonk the cause of the fall of the last government.

The salutary lesson of this election is, people want more of the same with a lean to the left, then a bit of tough talk on those immigration and religious issues espoused by Geert Wilders whose locks once looked like a permanent lawyer’s wig. His new party of tough-talking intolerance pulled in 9 seats but he is too much of a firebrand to be called into a coalition – he was once in the Liberal Party – methinks we are in the death throes of liberalism in the Netherlands since the standard bearers of that ideology have lost electoral ground.

There is no doubt that a good few people would like to see Mrs Rita Verdonk sacked and pensioned off into obscurity, but not that easily.

She is back – again!

In 10 minutes, I heard the number 620,555 from her lips just as many times, the number of votes polled by Mrs Verdonk as number 2 in the VVD Party list which by circumstance happens to exceed the leader’s number by 50,000 votes. A precedent, they say.

Early on Tuesday, she said she would not challenge for the leadership of the party, having 4 months ago clearly lost the vote of the VVD party for the leadership, well, this evening she is back in a surreptitious and outrageous power grab for the leadership.

First by saying the people have spoken, she is probably more popular than the leader of her party, however, she would not challenge for the leadership of the party.

Rather, a commission should be set up to review this unique situation, and meanwhile, she is loyal to the party and to the leadership of Matt Rutte.

Rotten politics

If I have ever heard a fork-tongued, double-speak, back-stabbing, political about-face of the most slithering snake of treasonable political Brutus-tricks, Mrs Verdonk personifies the side of politics that would make you puke your toes from the inside – the moniker of Lady Oddjob now really fits.

There are rules for the election of a party leader and that is not decided by a general election, but by party membership, the leader only had 3 months to prepare for the elections, Mrs Verdonk has hugged the headlines for years with her tough stance on immigration and she neither won it within her party nor did she win it for her party.

If the VVD has a liability, it would be her, but like we have with the Weakest Link, the party members may not see through this political travesty of honour and integrity.

For a person who being unelected caused the fall of a government to now want to reap the fruits of democratic ascendancy, shows that she has all ambition and has little to show in political maturity or leadership – it would be not surprise me if like the List Pim Fortuyn, her leadership of the VVD leads the party to political obscurity through in-fighting and rancour – some lessons do have to be learnt the hard way and the Liberal Party looks like a ready and willing student.

Update – 29/11/2006

Having not been able to persuade the party hierarchy to establish an unnecessary commission, to examine the unique situation of the party leader polling less than the next person in the party list; Mrs. Verdonk has now pledged allegiance to the party and thrown her weight behind the party leader respecting the decision of the party to retain Mark Rutte and the leader of the Liberal Party (VVD).

References

The Verdonk Blog Trail

The Lady Oddjob Blog Trail

Bringing the Burqa down on the Dutch elections

Electoral opportunism

Only a few days ago, I did wonder if there was anything going on for the Dutch elections on Tuesday.

Then, the Minister of Integration & Immigration, Mrs. Rita Verdonk suggested the idea of banning the burqa was not a discussion point before the elections. Well, that is no more the case, the cabinet having received legal advice that the ban on the burqa would not contravene Dutch law has voted to approve a ban.

This, with just one working day to the elections smacks of opportunistic electioneering by courting controversy. This decision could have been kept on hold till after the elections, but pandering to this cause sends a signal to the electorate about some perceived toughness on un-integrated Muslims and might garner votes from those who may not have seen through this abuse of process.

A seriously flawed leader

The cabinet is a caretaker cabinet which came about because the self-same Mrs. Verdonk, who whilst adhering to the rules about immigration and indigenisation could not interpret those rules with initiative, discretion, compassion and a humane perspective.

This really irked the legislative chamber, that they called her to defend her policies five times, however, the same chamber never had the courage to sanction her, rather, and it was the judiciary that did more to check executive excesses and abuse of office, privilege and procedure.

Her liberal party must have noticed these leadership flaws that they refused to vote her into leadership; rumours now have it that she is vying for the position of deputy Prime Minister – I despair.

How a lame duck cabinet which only had a few days of legitimate existence could pass a motion so radical and controversial, without drawing the ire of the electoral commission and some other judicial body escapes me – it probably shows a weakness the concept of Dutch democracy.

The helmet and the burqa

The interesting thing about this burqa law is that it might affect all kinds of wear that cover or protect the eyes when one is in a public place, on the street or using public facilities. That would include helmets, visors, possibly ski-wear and winter wear, but these have to be included to allow this thinly veiled Islamophobic law to pass.

I expect a few good challenges to this law because it is bad, it is unnecessary, it is blatant, shameless opportunistic electioneering and it does nothing for promoting the perception of Dutch liberality or tolerance.

Then, we learn that there can only be 50 to 100 wearers of the burqa in a population of 16 million in the Netherlands.

It makes you wonder, how a non-issue can gain so much momentum on the perception of a non-existent threat to generate unnecessary clamour and lead to a controversial law that targets a minuscule minority and would affect a reasonable majority who need to care about their welfare and safety.

As an expatriate, Dutch politics never ceases to amaze me.

References

Cabinet backs plan to ban burka

Dutch Muslims condemn burqa ban

Are we voting in 8 days time?

A Quite Quiet Dutch Election

In the Netherlands, we are deep into electioneering as the parliament is to be elected on the 22^nd of November 2006.

Unlike the United States where one would have been bombarded with adverts in televisions, billboards, radio and any other communication medium you can think of; I could imagine a time when they would be able to invade your dreams and plan voting thoughts into would make you suddenly break out of sleep in cold sweat reaching for your gun – I have noticed nothing here in the Netherlands.

In fact, we have billboards set up in particular locations where parties and their activists can post their bills, this society could be so egalitarian, and it is scary.

By proportion to a list

Anyway, I received the list of candidates in my mailbox; we have a system of proportional representation, each party has a list of candidates where the person at number 1 is most likely to be elected and the last is least likely, it is a hierarchy but not as we know it.

When the votes are cast, the percentage of the polled votes against the total votes is computed to determine the number of seats gained as a proportion of the total number of seats contested by all parties, the party then fills the seats starting from number one to the fulfilled number.

The party with the most seats gains the right to seek out a coalition of other parties with which to form a government.

I cannot vote in the Netherlands, but I do have the right to vote if as a European citizen from the UK, I decide to chuck in my British passport for a Dutch one, why would I do such a thing?

I already can vote for the local elections and that is fine by me.

Listing all controversy

A number of things are quite interesting about the list; we have the Christian Unie (Christian Union) which is somewhat conservative evangelical that aligns itself with the Staatkundig Gereformeerde Partij - SGP (Reformed Political Party) an ultra-conservative curmudgeon of repressed religionists.

The SGP made the news earlier in the year and were on the verge of losing government funding for not allowing women to participate in the voting process, they do not believe in female suffrage – yes, we have those types in liberal Netherlands.

The CU however, does have men and women on their list; I would say nothing about hypocrisy in this respect.

Illiberal by personality

Then we have the Liberal Party, the VVD which is in coalition in government with the CDA, the party of the man who used to look like Harry Potter.

I for one cannot find what is liberal about the VVD, being the haven of my most revered Lady Oddjob, the Minister for dis-Integration (sic) and emigration (Immigration), Mrs Rita Verdonk whose antics have caused Dutch politics great disservice without remorse.

She happens to be the reason why we have having early elections having mucked up a number of asylum and citizenship issues that the government had to fall, the circumstances around Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s loss of Dutch citizenship and then the reinstatement of the same brought it all to a head.

Mrs Verdonk has never been elected, only appointed, she contested for the leadership of the VVD and came second, thankfully, but in the process, she has landed herself the number 2 position in the VVD party list which means she would become a member of parliament without fail.

Verdonk the enigma

Her initiatives have included calling for the abolition of the Equal Treatment Commission based on the fact that they ruled that a Muslim woman may decide not to shake hands with men and offer alternative greeting methods – I think that is a sensible assessment of the situation, it is quite different from wearing a veil in a class of children.

I have met devout Muslim women who do not shake hands, I respect that decision, in fact, in one instance, a class mate of mine simply clasped her hands and then extended them to lift my outstretched hand, and observers thought I had been accorded more than anyone had every elicited from her, I was honoured.

Equal because of inequalities

It is not that I have required services from the Equal Treatment Commission or in the case the UK the Equal Opportunities Commission, but those commissions exist because of inequalities in society, discrimination, abuse, bullying and many other things that allow dominant cultures to take undue advantage of minorities.

A democracy can well be the voice of the majority, but it should also protect the civil rights of the minority, we cannot have the tyranny of the majority persecuting and prosecution the minority, it makes for societal chaos where terrorism might be employed to fight tyranny.

Nobody seems to have taken to that kite she has flown, so, we would probably hear no more about it, this is the same woman who at one time suggested that Dutch should be the only language spoken on the streets of the Netherlands.

She has a heart of stone

After much protesting, she had considered sending 2 Iranian homosexuals back to Iran in the light of the fact that homosexuals had recently been hanged in that country – saying she had received assurances that no harm would come to the men.

Or, when her ministry passed on information of asylum seekers to repressive regimes that would have laid wait for deported failed asylum seekers, not to mention the fact that witnesses to a fire in an illegal immigrant detention camp were deported before they could give evidence on the matter, she having given assurances to the investigator that they would be retained till they are not needed anymore.

This is the catalogue of events that makes the Dutch vote her as the most popular politician and an Iron Lady, warped as this might seem, it is difficult for an expatriate like me to convince the everyday Dutch person that Mrs Verdonk is anything but nice.

We should soon expect the bombshell of civilizations, we have been intimated that there would for now be no ban on the burka, if the VVD wins, expect a ban of being a minority.

References

The Verdonk trail

Politicking with straight talk

Scrawny politicians

Sometimes, I think Dutch politicians, especially those who have had the providence of patronage to become ministers are such touchy people who assume airs and have delusions of grandeur.

They are so quick to take offence, go to court and make so much about they possibly questionable honour, integrity and definite lack of charisma.

The Prime Minister for example has been to court at least four times for situations where he has been parodied as a porn star or a person snatching a feeder from a baby – we cannot explore satire, talk less ridicule without some cellophane skinned lion heart boo-hooing back to mummy.

Needing a reality check

These people really need to be brought back down to earth, they are no demigods of any particular status, nor are they any more special than the man in the street, the opportunity to serve the people is becoming the opportunity to play feudal lord over others – it is patently un-Dutch and nowhere near the egalitarian society we are supposed to espouse.

So, one of the so many stuck-up ministers comes to the rescue of an even more stuck-up minister – my blog favourite Mrs. Verdonk or Lady Oddjob as she is known as on my blog.

She happened to find herself in a situation where she was accused of taking political advantage of the murder of the film producer Theo van Gogh – well, they all did and anyone who says they did not is a bare-faced liar.

Then someone else suggested the deportation of failed asylum seekers as akin to Nazi war crimes – now, I would be hurt if anyone said my actions could be compared to the Nazis.

An apologist seeks an apology

However, this is how it pans out, Mrs Verdonk is demanding an apology for the politicking allegation but none for the Nazi smear.

Let s look at that again, the politicking allegation can from an alderman, an elected council official, but the Nazi jibe came from a member of parliament.

The Member of Parliament is absolved because of her status for the alderman is supposedly infra dignitatem – the cheek of it all.

It goes without saying that the alderman – Ahmed Aboutaleb is probably one of the best integrated Muslims in the Netherlands; well educated with sharp and commonsense opinions – that obviously cannot be the reason why he is under fire.

What is annoying is the fact that the Dutch are known to be straight talkers, but it appears some people only allow straight talking if they can talk down to people but we all should hands behind our backs, heads bowed step backwards mouthing ‘Yes ma’am.

Verdonk back with new controversy

She is controversy personified and breathing

Sometimes I wonder if this woman courts controversy or exemplifies the evil personification of controversy itself.

Despite the overworked proposals that pertain to almost hapless immigrants who decide to emigrate to this land of a hard and difficult tongue, Mrs Verdonk having kept a lower than low profile with regards to how she wrecked the last cabinet and government is back in the news again.

Double Dutch and triple hurdles

Already, there are hurdles as high as the Israeli wall, which include having to learn to fluency the Dutch at the port of embarkation to the Netherlands.

Anyway, there is no doubt that there should be a way of processing illegal immigrants and deporting them back to ports and locations of embarkation where we are assured that their life, security and well-being would not be compromised.

It cannot be said the Mrs Verdonk as been scrupulous in these matters though, having offered names of asylum seekers to home governments that could waylay the arrival the "traitors" and lead them to situations that would be considered untenable according to our standards.

Besides, being called to the Second Chamber to explain her actions several times which either prejudiced people or make a public spectacle of the Dutch in the most unflattering ways, she remains interesting popular, but also am impediment to good integration policies.

Announcing a new controversial policy

So, her low profile purdah has ended with the news that she intends to make it difficult for once illegal immigrants to return to the Netherlands even if this time they have obtained through proper process the leave to return and settle in the Netherlands.

One wonders what this is supposed to achieve if the once illegal immigrant now legalises their presence in the Netherlands, which should be the right thing to do.

As usual, we are informed that this is not related to any case but some recommendations given in some pre-existing report.

Once illegal now legal to study law

Exactly, as I now note that Taida Pasic, the Kosovan and the unfortunate political pawn immigrant who was thrown out a few months ago within weeks of her examinations, will return in September to study law in the University of Leiden being sponsored fully by an organisation that advocates the emancipation of women.

Somehow, this minister just has a way of presenting policy to make anyone and everyone suspicious of the intentions, motives and goals as one despairs for the sad and sick Machiavellian glee that satisfies the people who craft such dastardly ideas as policy.

References

Verdonk plans to block former illegals

Verdonk survives censure as she admits more mistakes

Verdonk in the wars again over Syrian deportees

Data authority questions Verdonk's handling of Taida

Student Taida gets permission to return

The Cacophony of Rules vs The Silence of the Indifferent

We love the Netherlands

It probably has not dawned on my readership why my obsession with Lady Oddjob the Minister for Integration and Immigration or rather appropriately, of disintegration and emigration has been vociferous and bordering on the vituperative and virulent.

I now think I can put together a general context that depicts Dutch officialdom; but also affects immigrants and expatriates alike.

First, we non-indigenes come to the for many reasons, we bring with us, our culture, heritage, values and outlook to life which we have to intertwine and weave into the fabric of the host society as we adapt and integrate.

Some are better at integrating than others, most especially the younger ones in terms of language learning and relationships building.

There probably is a tendency for those who can, of right, live in the without application to vegetate to their expatriate communities if they encounter the slightest difficulty in the language and relationships building or social area. It is however, not for the want of trying.

In general, we love this place, we love the people, they have a varied and vibrant history and that is why we came here and live here. I make my home in the , happily, joyfully and fulfillingly.

Amsterdam is not Dutch Society

The tourist view the Netherlands usually extrapolated from the experiences in Amsterdam which is hardly the typical Dutch mien, when you come to settle, it is a whole new set of rules; you hit officialdom and are let utterly exasperated at the lethargy, disinterest, indifference and nonchalance of people who come to work to be seen and not necessarily to serve – you will eventually get attention, however, by then, you are at your wits end.

Digging up history to support a generalisation could be a bit unfair, but they do not necessarily have their roots in falsehood, a pattern and mode of life has been astutely observed over time to arrive at those conclusions that urban legends then tend to perpetrate.

Agreement through silence and acquiescence

Suffice it to say that indifference, collaboration, adherence and personal interest, first with officialdom that followed the rules and the populace which accepted that guidance, lead to the Netherlands losing 75% of their Jewish population to the Holocaust.[1][2][3]

Only a few years ago, we were overcome with the angst about whether Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl who journaled her time in hiding was the greatest Dutch person or an immigrant who just happened to be in the [4]. Yet, a tourist’s visit to Amsterdam is probably not complete without a visit to Anne Frank’s House.

So, Mrs Verdonk’s assertion that she is only following the rules as she sees them has historical precedence in the fact that her campaign slogan had the hallmarks stemming from one used by an ultra right-wing party and also from the perception in times past that the Nazi interpretation of the rules was the accepted and valid interpretation. [5][6]

Indifference is lethal

As she threw her hat into the ring for the leadership of the Liberal Party, it was important to remember the words of The Reverend Martin Niemöller, who clearly expressed how indifference can come back to haunt you in a very harrowing way, and this is what he said of the Nazis.

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out

because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the labor leaders, and I did not speak out

because I was not a labor leader.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out

because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me, and there was no one

left to speak out for me.

The Reverend Martin Niemöller

A lot is happening in the world today, that has people who can speak up adopting the “does not affect me” stance, I do wonder who would be left to speak up for them.

I, as both a British and European citizen do not have to be concerned about the way asylum seekers and immigrant non-European Union citizens are treated by the authorities and the hubris of the minister – I have inalienable European rights, but when you see language bans, forced contraception and people’s lives messed about for political point-scoring, one had better speak up now, because each new attack is an erosion of the whole body of rights in humanity that we possess and cherish.

Poor judgement for opportunism

This informs the situation where Mrs Verdonk’s actions in the case of Ayaan Hirsi Ali ended the political career of two very popular women in Dutch politics – the one of Hirsi Ali and hers. [6]

In what she did, she exuded that part of Dutch ambivalence that would make your skin creep, we immigrants sometimes do wonder if we can every fully understand what the Dutch regard as norms. As integrated as Hirsi Ali was, her undoing was that she did not adopt the “Live and let live” complacency to a the serious problem of Islamic dehumanisation of womanhood, she talked and talked out loud – that is not a Dutch norm – not at all.

Whose kind of immigrant?

So, the question remains what kind of immigrant does the want?

In what is looking like the mentality that traded Manhatten for we have three clear cases this year that show that Mrs Verdonk’s lack of judgement and perception is a handicap to any claim to leadership.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali might not have been the most loved or lovable immigrant/politician in the but she had one of the highest profiles, she is both well educated, successful and feted generously by the international community. She was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize 2006. Now deprived of her elected membership of the Second Chamber and Dutch citizenship, she is emigrating to the to take up a post with the American Enterprise Institute – with or without a Dutch passport.

Salomon Kalou, a very talented footballer from the Ivory Coast whose brother is going to the World Cup for the home country as captain, was recognised in spite of the 16 million eligible Dutch and probably 1000 qualified footballers, this immigrant was consider a valuable and probable asset to the Dutch dreams of football glory.

Against the better judgement of professionals where we know for a fact that people who can bring talent to the Netherlands can be fast-tracked to citizenship, his application was thwarted in a public spat that leaves much to be desired. [7]

This young man readily had a space in the Ivory Coast team to play in the world cup, but opted for the cold north in the where his application was messed around that it was too late for him to play for either the or .

Transferred to the Chelsea Football Club for a princely sum; a resounding vindication of the fact that the young man could have been a very valuable asset to the football team – he leaves for .

Taida Pasic, arrived from Kosovo at the age of 12 with her family, she quickly picked up Dutch and ended up being the best in her class for years – just months before her final exams, she became embroiled in an immigration situation which involved sending her back to Kosovo. At one time, she was handcuffed by officials in the presence of her classmates.

The brilliant girl who has since returned to Kosovo but was granted the unique dispensation of sitting her Dutch exams in the Dutch embassy wants to study law in the elite University of Leiden and a foundation in the has already offered to sponsor both tuition and living expenses.

She should return under a student’s visa and Mrs Verdonk better do well not to stand in her way this time.

Such is the way our love for the goes unrequited because some mandarin of officialdom bellows with salivating and sick-making sputum like Cerberus – Who goes there?

Many have suffered

These are the ones we know which Mrs Verdonk has through ultra vires exposed to the press in her quest to burnish her tough right-wing image.

The number of times the Second Chamber has suffered the sobriquet of a barking dog without a bite begins to bother me as Mrs Verdonk has been called at least 5 times to explain herself to parliament.

After the debate which is usually characterised with Dutch plain speaking and deference without the genuflection, Mrs Verdonk sometimes cuts the image of an unassailable overload who has one answer and everything point to that one answer to the exasperation of the members of the Second Chamber.

Rather than sanction her or pass a vote of no confidence on her, détente reigns as she is given a mandate to execute and another chance to sin again. Where the courts have ordered her to reflect she has been slothful to the point of almost mocking the context of our democracy because her populist views buoys her in the eyes of the general populace.

Where there is no effective sanction these high profile dramas of sacrificing talent and human welfare of opportunistic advantage would continue. Thankfully, the last time this happened she burnt her own bridges too. I suppose, when a mountain is immovable we can only hope there is volcano underneath it ready to help it self-destruct.

These issues should count against her, regardless of the trouble she might eventually cause – parties and people of the far right are beginning to woo her, and as long as she believes is following the rules, she might be tempted to break ranks – hopefully, that would be breaking ranks into obscurity.

And the runner-up is - Lady Oddjob

Seconds from First

One thing about coming second-best is you get to speak first and cheer the leader as you humbly acknowledge that you have been trounced.

One could not have wished a better person to be in that position than Lady Oddjob (Mrs Rita Verdonk) the Minister without Portfolio in charge of Integration and Immigration.

The result of the VVD – Liberal Party Leadership contest was down to the wire as polls suggested the youthful Mark Rutte might come off worse having been an initial favourite when a no-runner tried to get name recognition by creating the similitude of a political joust – she, Jelleke Veenendaal mercifully got 3% of the vote.

The main result itself was 51% to Mark and 46% to Rita, a result that shows a modicum of Dutch ambivalence than Dutch courage.

Support as minister deny as leader

Generally, Lady Oddjob commands extensive support in the Netherlands, her populist approach to dealing with immigration cases has many times earned her the title of best politician – which we can say is down to being able to enforce the rules down the line.

A tough-talking, unyielding and firm minister is necessary for those matters, but it offers no training ground for leadership – that requires another set of skills that working in the prisons service and then moving to corporate consulting firm do not offer.

The generalisation I can deduce here separates the immigrant/expatriate community from the Dutch – Whilst we believe rules should and must be enforced, we also realise that humans made those rules and sometimes humanity requires that exceptions in application are valid.

As I have noted before, the Dutch do have a knack for breaking the rules but understand that the whole weight of officialdom and the law can be brought to bear if one is caught breaking those rules.

With that in mind, we would rather not break the rules at all, we can be found queuing, stopping at traffic lights, upbraiding others for being uncivil and suddenly be exposed as unDutched.

An opportunist looking like a pragmatist

However, when reviewing the issue of Lady Oddjob, what makes everyone breathe a collective sigh of relief is the opinion that her winning might have lead her to pull out of the governing coalition in a few months and capitalise on her popularity to become the first female Prime Minster of the Netherlands.

I, for one would not be surprised if she eventually decides to become the leader of her own party, considering the way she was carpeted by her party for what she did concerning Ayaan Hirsi Ali who also happened to be from the same party.

Vengeance is not hers

Before the election was over, there were rumours the those who were involved were already having their cards marked by supporters of Verdonk who was imminently going to take the prize – we have been spared the Night of Long Knives as vengeance would belong to another time and era.

Everyone likes Mrs Verdonk where she is and she has a lot of work to do the make her department, efficient, friendly and professionally capable of handling immigration and asylum issues humanely.

Having to deny that sick children get deported reveals without need for other evidence the feeling people have towards the way the agency operates.

My commiserations to Lady Oddjob, though I never intended to offer any congratulations – that belongs to a parallel universe, the one we do yet not inhabit.

References

Rutte crowned in choreographed 'Idols' show

We don't deport ill children - Verdonk

The Verdonk – Lady Oddjob Archive

No nice words for Mrs Verdonk

An Engaging Reality Show – the Dutch Parliament in session

The Dutch have a penchant for straight talking but always seem to act towards a form of consensus or compromise.

Nowhere was that more evident than in the Second Chamber of the Dutch Parliament when an emergency debate was called to address the Ayaan Hirsi Ali issue with the minister – Mrs Rita Verdonk.

Expatriates like myself hardly watch Dutch television, but somehow expatriates had a compelling desire to witness the events in the Dutch Parliament which ran on till about 3:00AM.

This is, I think, the fourth time in less than 2 years that Mrs Verdonk has been called to the parliament to address issues the legislature think border on abuse of power, abuse of privilege, the lack of due process and abrogation of procedure.

The Hirsi Ali case had a considerably high profile, being that the decision Mrs Verdonk made automatically meant Mr Ali cannot continue to be a Member of the Dutch Parliament.

Backslash, Slash, Backspace, Backslash - Questions

The MPs had a field day posing questions and questioning rationale, it looked like we were going for the full showdown, but for all the times that Mrs Verdonk has like a chastised school pupil appeared before the house, things have almost gone to the brink, but there was always a pull back.

There is no doubt that Ms Ali used false information to register as an asylum seeking, there might have been reason for any asylum seekers to use a false name for expedient reasons of leaving behind their history and making them untraceable till such a time as they are ready to be exposed.

Mrs Verdonk as also right within the remit of her ministerial duties to institute an investigation to ascertain the circumstances in which Dutch citizenship was granted and the validity of that exercise.

Communications schizophrenic

However, whilst the letter send to Ms Ali indicates that her Dutch citizenship is invalid, it gives her leave to appeal within 6 weeks, but in play of words that definitely exasperated a not few MPs Mrs Verdonk opined that she observed rather than affirmatively indicated that situation.

The debate that ran through issues like the minister’s truthfulness, understanding of the law, appreciation of the power of parliament and deference to its demands, hardly any MPs could find words of praise at her actions.

Rather, one ex-leader of her party did express surprise at the speed of resolution of the inquiry alluding to the fact that the backlog of claims in the immigration department would have been cleared up if things were that efficient. They are not – that department is an utter bureaucratic mess.

Called to order

In the end, Mrs Verdonk – The Iron Lady and my Lady Oddjob has been ordered, yes, ordered, to review the case of Ms Ali on the status of her citizenship and where it is found that her claim is valid, it should be accelerated.

Yesterday, I discerned that we would not hit the streets in protest, but expect the Dutch to do something about it – this compromise is as good as it gets – the minister does not entirely lose face, the government does not collapse and parliament gets to impose its will.

There is a Dutch ambivalence to this issue, in that the many I have chatted to, on the face of it commend Mrs Verdonk for following the law, but when I raise issues of the exercise of the law requiring a human face and the possible negative effect on expatriates or the fact that a Dutch a language that thrives on exceptions cannot seem to seen exceptions in the imposition of the law, Mrs Verdonk’s esteem falls.

This is probably part of my integration, trying to understand the Dutch psyche – where I would have thought a big slap on the wrist would have sufficed with an admonition and liberal sanction, the obstinate adherence to laws has undone all the parties involved.

The chastised Verdonk

Mrs Verdonk can as well put paid to the idea of leading her party at the end of May – it is a case of an opportunist being overtaken and outplayed by the opportunity. Like Samson, his exercise of power in trying to destroy his enemies also brought the building down on himself.

I would not rejoice too early, but I cannot wait to see Mrs Verdonk come second best in the leadership race for the Liberal Party.

However, it is only in Dutch politics that the most high profile minister of the realm is a minister without portfolio in the Ministry of Justice.

Apart from the Prime Minister who has had a makeover from his erstwhile Harry Potter looks, one wonders who those who run portfolio ministries are – Finance, Interior Matters, Foreign Affairs, Justice and Defence – they all probably have not been mentioned once for anything significant, this year.

Bizarre, but that is living in the Netherlands – amazing place!

References

The Verdonk Archive

Expatica's Dutch news in English: MPs order Verdonk to reconsider Hirsi Ali's status:

Expatica's Dutch news in English: Hirsi Ali: fast decision amazes ministers:

Lady Oddjob draws ire and fire

I need not say anymore, the Liberal Party has been accused of scandalous opportunism in supporting Mrs Verdonk’s actions.

The Verdonk Archive

Lady Oddjob decapitates Poster Child

Ruthless Rita

Not that we feared that this would be the result of Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s tribulations, but the swiftness with which Mrs Rita Verdonk, the never elected but influential minister of Integration and Immigration has discounted 14 years of acquiescence to the Dutch way of life is legendary and without precedent.

Basically. Ms Ali has now been told, she was never a Dutch citizen, and hence, by inference she cannot continue to be a Member of Parliament.

Mrs Verdonk personally called her last night to deliver the message.

There are more than enough mitigating circumstances for Ms Ali’s Dutch citizenship to be revalidation in spite of her misdemeanours of 14 years ago.

She, like I have said before, is probably the most high profile integrated immigrant in the Netherlands besides the Princess Maxima who is Argentinean by birth but married to the Crown Prince Willem-Alexander.

No encouragement whatsoever

It provides no encouragement for those of us who strive to begin appearing relevant in more ways than just paying rates and taxes in the Netherlands.

This is not to say that adherents of Islam would be shedding a tear nor would it bring the general ethnic communities unto the streets – however, it should bring the Dutch out in protest against unconscionable intolerance masquerading as enforcing the ministerial prerogative of the law. [1]

Basically, on this matter, Mrs Verdonk has been a shameless opportunist who has sacrificed the Dutch citizenship of a fellow countrywoman for the quest to appear tough in immigration with the hope that her Liberal Party would vote she in as leader.

I do sincerely hope that the Party does see through this charade of political expediency and deny her any opportunity to foist that on more that the already unfortunate few that have come under her gaze.

Seriously, that a minister who has never faced an electorate can invalidate the election of a representative of a Dutch constituency sets new precedent – we are in wildly uncharted waters.

Good Luck and Godspeed, Ms Ali

Meanwhile, we can only wish Ms Ali good fortune in her new endeavour with the AEI as she considered her position in the Netherlands and the way irrational ministers are allowed to thrive in notoriety to the demolition of everything the Dutch hold dear.

I do not for once condone the fact that Ms Ali lied in her asylum application, but we have to see beyond the possibly, harangued and frightened 22-year-old who had escaped the throes of Africa for bright possibilities in Europe and how well she has done to account for her misdeeds.

A humanity that cannot forgo the illiberal for the tolerant and apply mercy in the face of obvious guilt cannot hope to rehabilitate who have fallen to a state of acceptance.

The figurehead for that view of humanity should likewise depart for wiser and more mature heads to facilitate fairness, justice and mercy in keeping with up with the civility of this age. This is just so, not Dutch, at all.

About Oddjob

The Oddjob nickname comes from the James Bond film, Goldfinger where there Korean bodyguard called Oddjob uses his bowler hat with a shard steel rim as a Frisbee which could decapitate victims.

This got ascribed to Mrs Verdonk when she threw her hat in the ring to contest the leadership of the Liberal party. Hence, Lady Oddjob.

As it now transpires, Lady Oddjob has decapitated the Poster child of Dutch integration.

References

[1] Hirsi Ali – Reactions

[2] Hirsi Ali to quit

The Lady Oddjob Archive

A short weekend in Dutch politics

A week, they say is a long time in politics, where expediency to populism matters, days are like an eternity.

Just as we are absorbing the news of the already well-documented terminological inexactitudes of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, one cannot say if this occasion provides opportunity or catastrophe.

Only on Friday, Lady Oddjob, the Minister for Disintegration and Emigration (tongue in cheek) who at this time is running to the leadership of the Liberal Party, said, Ms Ali has nothing to fear regarding the lies she told 14 years ago. [1]

Iron Lady Jelly Backbone takes pressure

However, this works against the grain of Dutch culture, which allows for people to break the law with impunity as long as they do not get caught and then imposes the entire weight of the law in exacting sanctions on those caught. This part of a group of other attitudes called gedogen.

Besides, this has generated so much commentary from the press; experts and some personnel who were part of the hoodwinked assessors in 1992, that it now appears the minister in the person of Lady Oddjob cannot be seen to be doing nothing about it. [2]

In fact, you cannot be running for leadership of a party and be prospecting to become the first female Prime Minister and then be found condoning the submission of false material for asylum – this is beside the point that that false pretence has created a useful and commendable member of the Dutch political society.

About face in turn about

So, in an about face typical of those who watch the polls and have a weekend to think about it, Mrs Verdonk, the minister has now instituted an inquiry to investigate the claims of Ms Ali probably leading to the toughest sanction of withdrawing her Dutch citizenship. [3]

We all need someone who has an open mind, a resolute perspective and can make tough decisions, between Friday and Monday morning, I think the weekend should have helped Mrs Verdonk consider pulling out of the leadership race too.

If we are to move from a Prime Minister who cannot sail no matter how the wind blows to one who lists wherever the wind blows, then we have definitely mortgaged our futures to the kind of populism that would make Chavez and Ahmadenijad look like students in Populism 101.

A middle finger leap to the States

Whilst Ms Ali might be under pressure about lies she has already revealed many times before apart from some minor disputed facts, she is about to give the middle finger to all this brouhaha.

She has been offered a tenure with the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research in the United States from September [4], an offer that might come with a green card if the Dutch sell her up, just as they exchanged Manhattan for Suriname.

My views about think tanks are probably already well known, and the Bush administration has been infiltrated with AEI alumni, ideas and policy initiatives – the neo-cons find their oxygen in its tents.

Celebrating Opportunism as Concern

You have to give Ms Ali credit for wending her way through the storms of life as other politicians try to catch the fallout for some pecuniary advantage – despicable does not begin to describe my utter disgust for opportunists – but who is a politician but one who can represent opportunism as concern?

Now! I am really sick to the stomach as the voice of my congratulations to Ms Ali is drowned out by the spasms of violent regurgitation.

References

[1] Liberals don't care Hirsi Ali lied to get asylum in 1992

[2] Lying can lead to loss of asylum - expert

[3] MP Hirsi Ali faces inquiry over naturalisation lies

[4] Hirsi Ali to leave Netherlands for job with US think tank

Dutch Intolerance Incubator brings forth electoral still-born

The benefits of being a European

I count myself extremely fortunate to be a European of British birth and Nigerian parentage.

This is made ever so obviously from the unfortunate events we have had in the Netherlands where non-Europeans have become hapless pawns in the political maelstrom of immigration and integration.

The EU-15 which consists of states in the European Union before May 2004 allows for the freedom of movement of goods, services and personnel to varying degrees.

Come May 2006, I would have been a Netherlands resident of six years standing. It offers me the opportunity to vote in the local elections and generally in the European elections but not in the National elections.

A hard tongue

So much commentary has been placed on integration and it formed the basis of the change in polity in 2002. However, whilst I understand a good bit of Dutch, I still sound like a Martian whenever I open my mouth to speak.

When learning German in the UK years ago, I can still say three months of study had me prattling about in conversational German and more fluently than my Dutch after almost 6 years sojourn.

Another benefit is the opportunity to become a Dutch citizen having passed the integration tests and also attained language proficiency. The statute books even include an old-time Napoleonic clause that allows a one-way conversion to French citizenship.

Aspiring for a better prize

Besides being able to vote in national elections or join the army, I think my British passport gets me into more countries than any other passport apart from being a member of the global diplomatic corps.

This Dutch citizenship is considered the “main prize” by my most popular copy-inspirer Mrs Rita Verdonk (VVD) the Minister of Immigration and Integration, an assertion that has been debunked by one of the pawns who in a World Cup year could have helped bring much glory to Dutch football.

The most irksome activity sometimes required but not compulsory is obtaining the resident’s permit which consumes time and energy, in some cases, certain services can be denied without it.

Once, I went out there for the resident’s permit and we were all lumped together as all the citizens of the world such that until you got to the counter 5 hours later, the EU membership counted for nothing.

The people have spoken up

Anyway, we had the local elections on Tuesday and the results were out by Wednesday morning taking a few scalps with it; the leader of VVD for instance, having lost just a few seats and a lot less than the main governing party.

The coalition of Christian Democrats (CDA), Liberals (VVD) and Social Liberal Democrats (D66) lost some ground; that was to be expected because they had become a triune of what is most illiberal and unDutch about the Dutch. See Political Parties.

More to the point, Leefbaar Rotterdam (Liveable Rotterdam) which was first made popular by Pim Fortuyn the assassinated firebrand of 2002, lost the controlling majority in Rotterdam to the Labour Party (PvDA).

The intolerance incubator

Leefbaar Rotterdam happens to be the incubator, if not the nursery of ideas that Mrs Verdonk then flies as kites to gauge national opinion before back-tracking speedily, like speaking Dutch in public.

The idea of forced contraception and socially-assessed abortions also came from Rotterdam, but a lot more can be read from the local election results even though the losers would bore us to death about these not having a shade on the more society-changing national elections, politics grows from the grassroots as people want to have a bigger say in how they are governed.

Many independents took part in the local elections and their number increased coming second only to the Labour party and pushing the ruling parties into lower positions.

The main result from this election is that the Dutch have rejected the demagogy of Liveable Netherlands with its right-wing agenda that excites the fear of immigration and the loss of Dutch identity.

Back to tolerant Netherlands

Indeed we all want the Netherlands to be "liveable" land, but not to the exclusion of others who live here who might not be indigenous.

The Dutch have a tradition of tolerance, acceptance and freedom of expression has for the past 4 years been hijacked by unscrupulous politicians and commentators that have focused the public on the divisive rather than the inclusive.

We have all woken up from that nightmarish existence and the countdown has begun for all those who promote a cause that does not fit well with a Dutch history and culture that goes back many centuries.

Come the next election, it should be “all-change”, from getting effective leadership to people in government who speak up for all and promote what we know the Dutch have given the world in justice, liberty and freedom.

Postscript - any other stone would do

Mrs Verdonk has had a change of heart; well if you have a heart of stone, any other stone would do - she has temporarily suspended the deportation of Iranian homosexuals and apostates. She has done the right thing regardless of what lead to this change of heart.