Dutch vote in polls with far right eyeing gains

Dutch voters go to the polls yesterday in local elections with farright parties seeking gains and all eyes on a referendum on plans to broaden government online spying powers.

Most polling stations across the Netherlands open at 7.30am (0630 GMT) with more than 12 million voters eligible to pick councillors in the 380 municipalities. Ballots close at 9pm (2000 GMT).

But political analysts say the local vote is being dwarfed by a simultaneous referendum over whether to back a new online security law giving Dutch intelligence services sweeping powers to tap online data.

“The consultative referendum on the law concerning the Dutch secret services ... is dominating the news,” said Ruud Koole, political science professor at Leiden University.

‘Repressive regimes’

The referendum on the new security laws — which would allow the Dutch secret service AIVD to trawl for information by tapping into internet fibre-optic cables — was conceived by Amsterdam students.

Angered by what they see as a bid to hand the authorities over-arching powers, the students gathered enough support to force a non-binding referendum on the law, set to come into effect on May 1.

Proponents of the legislation say it will give security services greater ability to monitor dangerous groups such as militant organisations.

Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been among those urging voters to back the new law at the ballot box, saying it will help protect the country.

One of the latest polls said 53 per cent of those planning to vote would back the law, with 34 per cent against, according to the ANP news agency.

But critics, including rights organisations, fear private data unrelated to any investigation, will also be scooped up by the government.