The Rotterdam branch of the SP keeps three members who were expelled at the end of October by the national board of the party, nevertheless on the list for the municipal elections in March. The department decided this during a meeting on Sunday, confirms the new party leader of the Rotterdam SP Arno van der Veen after reporting. through the AD. A large majority of those present voted in favor of the electoral list that also includes the three expelled members.
The choice threatens to bring the department into conflict with the party board. National party secretary Arnout Hoekstra stated last week in the AD to find it “logical” “that all candidates are members of the SP”. He added: “If that is not the case, then that department cannot participate in the elections under the name of the SP.”
Party leader Van der Veen says that, as a result of the final electoral list, he has not yet had contact with the national party board about participating in the elections. “There is no rule in the statutes that prohibits non-members from being on the list, and that has happened before in the SP,” said Van der Veen. “I assume that the party board does not want to dupe Rotterdammers by making participation on this list impossible.”
The national board of the SP decided last week to expel 33 members because of double membership of a political party. They were all members of or involved in the youth movement Red or the discussion platform Marxist Forum. These are somewhat controversial organizations within the SP, because they believe that the course of the party should be more left-wing and more radical. Red and Marxist Forum were declared a political party earlier at a SP meeting, after which the 33 members received a letter asking them to choose the SP or the other groups. One of the expelled members, Tijs Hardam, was chairman of the SP in Rotterdam.
Also read: Mass expulsion plunges SP deeper into crisis
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