Nearly half of Dutch call for MP to resign

Nearly half of the Dutch voters (48 percent) think that VVD parliamentarian Mark Verheijen should not return to the Tweede Kamer (lower house of parliament), even if it turns out that he is not guilty of corruption. This is according to Maurice de Hond's weekly poll. On the other hand, almost half of the Dutch voters (47 percent) think that he can pick up his duties again if the allegations of corruption turn out to be false. Among VVD voters, 62 percent believe this. Last week Verheijen took a temporary leave of absence from the Tweede Kamer, pending the outcome of an investigation into his declarations during his previous job as a deputy in Limburg. Verheijen is also facing criminal charges. The Limburg company Taurus is accusing the parliamentarian of corruption during his time as a councilor in Venlo.