Elections

Following the fall of the Balkenende IV cabinet snap elections for the House of Representatives will be held on Wednesday June 9th, 2010. But what happens in the months to come? Is it business as usual for the House of Representatives? Who actually rules the Netherlands now? What is the relationship between the House and the demissionary cabinet and who is in charge of organising the elections?

Controversial issues
The sittings of the House of Representatives will continue as usual in the coming months. However, not all issues can be dealt with. The House will draw up a list of so-called controversial issues. Debates about these issues are postponed until the new cabinet has taken office.

Final list
In the week of March 8th the House decides in a plenary sitting on the proposed list of controversial issues. MPs can propose amendments in order to drop items from the list or to add them, on the contrary. The House votes on the amendments first, before voting on the final list. If there is need for a debate the House decides on whether or not to hold this during the arrangement of business, when the House draws up its agenda.

The Senate draws up its own list of controversial issues, independently from the House of Representatives.

Selection of controversial issues by standing committees
In the week of March 1st the various standing committees of the House of Representatives will gather in order to draw up the list of controversial issues. In doing so, the committees will consider the subjects already being dealt with, such as bills and policy documents, and the general debates with the government that have already been scheduled.

Electoral recess
In the week of March 8th the House will discuss the draft list of controversial issues in a plenary sitting. Subsequently, the House will be in session as usual until the start of the so-called electoral recess. This is the period prior to the elections, during which no plenary meetings are held. The Presidium of the House of Representatives has yet to decide when the electoral recess begins.

Demissionary cabinet
A cabinet is called "demissionary" when its members have tendered their resignation to the Queen. Traditionally, Her Majesty the Queen urges the demissionary cabinet "to do all that it deems necessary in the interest of the Kingdom of the Netherlands".

Competences
According to Dutch constitutional law a demissionary cabinet is fully competent. For instance, a demissionary cabinet can introduce bills, it can take decisions and it can represent the Netherlands abroad. There is, however, an unwritten rule that a demissionary cabinet confines itself to urgent matters and issues that are not politically controversial.

Who organizes the elections in the Netherlands?
The elections for the House of Representatives will be held on Wednesday June 9th. The House does not organize the elections itself. The Electoral Council acts as the Central Electoral Committee of the Netherlands and organizes the elections.

Standing for election
Anyone wishing to stand for election hast to apply to the Electoral Council no later than April 27th (43 days before the elections: this is laid down in the Elections Act).

Voting
The Electoral Council determines the overall polling result and the allocation of seats. All the newly elected MPs are sworn in by the President of the House as soon as possible.

Voting from abroad
Dutch nationals living abroad can take part in the elections of the House of Representatives. If they wish to do so, they have to register six weeks before the elections at the latest. People who happen to be abroad on polling day can issue a proxy to someone else to vote on their behalf.

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cabinet_of_the_Netherlands