I amsterdam - Council Elections 2006

  Results                      

	%	seats in 2006	seats in 2002
PvdA	39.4%	20	15
VVD	16.3%	8	9
Groen Links	13.6%	6	6
SP	13.3%	6	4
D66	4.1%	2	3
CDA	4.2%	2	4
AA/deGroenen	2%	1	1

Mokum Mobiel (1) and Leefbaar Amsterdam (2) lost their seats.

Council elections

Every four years Amsterdammers choose a new City Council and new municipality council and new council governing board.The City Council elections take place throughout the Netherlands, those for the councils only in the larger cities.  For the first time, this year Amsterdam will use an electronic voting system. A big change, both for the voters as well as the election organisers, which hopes to make the process simpler and allow results to be known earlier. This year 24 parties are participating in the City of Amsterdam elections. Also, in 14 municipalities residents can also vote for a new council.  45 seats are available in the central council. Currently, nine different political parties make up the municipality council, four different parties form the College of the Mayor and Aldermen. The Mayor is appointed for six years and cannot be elected. 

All Dutch nationals who are aged 18 or over on polling day are entitled to vote in elections. Dutch nationals resident abroad are entitled to vote in elections to the Lower House and the European Parliament. However, in the case of Dutch nationals living in the Netherlands Antilles, certain conditions are attached: they must have previously resided for at least ten years in the Netherlands, or be a Dutch public servant, or be the spouse, partner or child of a Dutch public servant and form part of the same household as that person. Only those resident in a particular province or municipality on the day on which candidates are nominated may vote in the election for the provincial or municipal council concerned.

Non-Dutch nationals are also entitled to vote in municipal elections provided they satisfy a number of requirements. In this respect, a distinction is drawn between EU citizens and other non-Dutch nationals. EU citizens are entitled to vote in municipal elections under the same conditions as Dutch nationals. Other non-Dutch nationals must not only satisfy the same requirements as Dutch nationals on the day on which the parties' lists of candidates for the elections must be submitted, but they must in addition have been legally resident in the Netherlands for a continuous period of at least five years. This means that they must have held a valid temporary or permanent residence permit under article 8, sections a,b,d,e or l, of the Aliens Act 2000. The calculation of the five-year period of legal residence may also include any period during which the person concerned held a temporary residence permit under article 8, section c, of the Aliens Act 2000.

In addition, non-Dutch nationals must hold a valid residence permit in terms of article 8, sections a,b,d,e or l of the Aliens Act 2000 on the day when the lists of candidates are submitted (nomination day). Residence under an agreement between an international organisation and the Dutch State concerning the establishment of that organisation in the Netherlands is deemed to constitute possession of such a valid residence permit.

The right to vote is not, however, granted to non-Dutch nationals who are members of staff of diplomatic and consular missions in the Netherlands, or on their spouses, partners or children if the latter form part of the same household.


Websites of the political parties:

1. PvdA
2. VVD
3. GroenLinks
4. CDA Amsterdam
5. SP
6. D66 Democraten
7. Leefbaar Amsterdam
8. Amsterdam Anders/De Groenen
9. Mokum Mobiel
10. Partij van de Toekomst
11. Partij van Amsterdam
12. Amsterdam Leeft
13. Humanistische Partij
14. Amsterdam Lokaal
15. FVP/Ouderepartij
16. Nieuw Communistiche Partij
17. VIP Vooruitstrevende Integratie Partij
18. Christen Unie
19. Duurzaam Nederland
20. Liberaal Amsterdam
21. Amsterdam Transparant
22. Huisje Boompje Beestje
23. Nationale Democratische Partij
24. Conservatieve Democraten