Dutch ruling coalition locks horns over Afghanistan

THE HAGUE (AFP) - The three parties in the Dutch centre-left governing coalition locked horns Wednesday over a Nato request to extend the Netherlands military presence in Afghanistan, officials said.
Labour Party PvdA leader and vice-premier Wouter Bos told his colleagues of the majority Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and the smallest coalition partner, the Christian Union (CU), that his party would not support an extension beyond 2010.
We will have to respond negatively to the request from Nato, Bos told public broadcaster NOS after a cabinet meeting in The Hague.
We (the government) promised the Dutch voter two years ago that the last Dutch soldier will be out of Uruzgan by the end of this year. We must keep that promise, said Bos, who is also the Finance Minister.
Present for Wednesdays talks were Premier and CDA leader Jan Peter Balkenende, fellow Vice-Premier and CU leader Andre Rouvoet, and the ministers of defence, foreign affairs and development cooperation.
His CDA and CU colleagues publicly chided Bos, with Premier Balkenende urging caution through a spokesman and Rouvoet saying he was unpleasantly surprised.
Bos was adamant that the PvdAs final position meant that a decision could be arrived at speedily, as soon as this Friday at the weekly cabinet meeting.
According to Balkenendes spokesman Henk Brons, talks on the issue were ongoing.
The Premier reiterated today that the line ministers are considering a variety of different options and if a proposal comes from it, that will be taken to the cabinet for approval, he said. Parliament has asked the cabinet to report to it by March 1.