D66 refuses to join cabinet: party leader

The leader of the D66, Alexander Pechtold, announced that his party is not considering joining the cabinet. He suggested that the cabinet must see for themselves whether they have sufficient support in the senate following the the provincial elections on March 18th, reports RTL Nieuws. The results of the provincial elections determine the makeup of the upper house of parliament. Recent polls show the VVD and PvdA losing support for their ruling coalition, with popularity of D66 and the CDA on the rise. Pechtold said he still had many questions left about the deal that resulted in the resignation of Justice Minister Ivo Opstelten and his Secretary Fred Teeven. The D66 leader suggested there is a "clear pattern of deals, where the Tax Office was left out." He also mentioned that he would like to learn more about the efforts of Rutte to handle the existing situation. Prime Minister Mark Rutte will answer questions and debate with parliamentarians in a lower house session Tuesday evening.