Woman Running For Elections SGP

By rpersad on August 22, 2013 - 05:46
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For the first time in the history of the SGP, a woman is running for a spot on the list in municipal elections. Lillian Janse wants, in the upcoming municipal elections in Vlissingen, to pull the cart as leader of the party. This is unique, because until March this year women could not run for the Christian party.

Earlier six male candidates declined to lead the local party. Her father, who is part of the local government, discussed the difficult search for a suitable party leader with his daughter Lillian, who promptly suggested to do it by herself. 'The SGP standards and values ​​are in my heart. Now the chance is offered to support them, why should I not do that?" she said Wednesday in the EO program The Fifth Day.

It is the first time that a woman makes this step, after the Supreme Court had determined in 2010,  that the SGP no longer can actively hold women from the ballot.

The European Court of Human Rights upheld this ruling in March of this year, after which the SGP decided that women also can run for the party in the municipal, provincial or parliamentary elections.

Vocation of women

It was decided that female members can apply, but it troubled Article 10 of the manifesto. That manifesto says that women may not vote. The board in Vlissingen has now put the Article 10 aside with the nomination of the 40-year-old Zeeland citizen as leader of the local SGP fraction.

'Historic moment'

The Clara Wichmann Trial Case Fund, which enforced the ruling to the Supreme Court, welcomed the candidacy. "This is a historic moment anyway," said Anniek de Ruijter, chairman of the fund. "Now I hope that the act of Lilian Janse opens the way for other female SGP politicians."

President of the SGP youth, Jan-Willem Kranendonk, called the decision "a local matter".  "But it is legally possible. It was a matter of time before the first woman would announce her candidacy."

The national board will not block the ambitions of Janse. The Commission has no legal basis to influence the local board says the spokesman of the House fraction. If Janse will actually be chosen as party leader in Vlissingen, is still not sure. "This is a matter of the electoral association - these are the local members – who yet have to vote on here or not," the spokesman said.

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