Dutch MP James Sharpe resigns amid growing scandals

[News_Editor]

Dutch MP James Sharpe resigns amid growing scandals

2010-11-18 16:48:41 GMT+7 (ICT)

THE HAGUE (BNO NEWS) -- Fearing more scandals, Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) politician James Sharpe surrendered his seat in parliament on early Thursday morning.

The resignation comes amid a row of scandals that have hit the controversial right-wing coalition partner in recent weeks. Sharpe had faced increasing criticism after Dutch television program Pownews revealed that his company had been fined in Hungary in 2008 for misleading customers.

'De Telegraaf' newspaper said Sharpe would immediately surrender his seat in parliament, which will enable the PVV to replace him. It will not directly affect the coalition government, which would collapse if it loses a single seat, because the PVV will keep the seat.

Sharpe told De Telegraaf that he was resigning voluntarily because he was tired of the attacks on his integrity, which followed news reports that Digitania, of which he was the CEO, was ordered by Hungarian authorities in 2008 to pay a fine of 256,000 euros (346,000 USD).

"I don't have anything to hide," Sharpe told De Telegraaf. "This is absolutely my own decision. I can't focus on my work anymore."

But the resignation appeared to be timed in fear of abuse revelations by Sharpe's ex-girlfriend who spoke with AD, another Dutch newspaper, on Thursday morning. "It was a suffocating feeling," she said about the relationship. "The fear of him, I just shivered."

The woman dated Sharpe, 48, for about 3 years during the 1980s. In one instance, she claimed, Sharpe became jealous about an Italian man she had met years earlier. "He became extremely jealous. I was a wh[...]. Eventually he struck me with his knee in my stomach and said he hoped I could never have children." She denied having a relationship with the Italian man, saying Sharpe was her first boyfriend.

The woman said she eventually went to police with her father, but with no results. "They said they couldn't do anything, because there was no evidence," she said.

Sharpe's fear of possible revelations by ex-girlfriends was already clear during his interview with De Telegraaf, which was published before the ex-girlfriend's interview. "I'm the last person who walks away for responsibility," Sharpe told De Telegraaf. "But I already see the ex-girlfriends who will start talking about me."

Sharpe further said he regretted being portrayed as a criminal, and even as a porn-king. This emerged from the fact that Digitania had used photos of women who were not available for dating advertisements. The company had also hosted scores of adult websites.

"I surely can take some hits, if things are true," Sharpe said. "But I'm being portrayed as a half criminal and even called a porn-king. I'm glad that my children live in Hungary and have not seen it."

On Wednesday, RTL News also revealed allegations from a former Dutch athlete who accused Sharpe of assault and called him a psychopath.

The resignation will undoubtedly come as a relief to PVV party leader Geert Wilders, who is facing increasing criticism after he announced earlier this week that MP Eric Lucassen would be allowed to stay in his party.

Lucassen, 36, had been accused by neighbors of threatening and intimidating behavior towards them. It was then also revealed by RTL News that Lucassen had been convicted in 2002 for having an inappropriate relationship with two female students in the army.

But Wilders had few choices available as Lucassen was apparently refusing to surrender his seat in parliament. If he had been ousted by the PVV, Lucassen could have proceeded to form his own one-seat political party or pull support for the current coalition government. And since the coalition government has the bare minimum majority of 76 seat, the government would have collapsed if Lucassen would have pulled his support.

The scandals come just a month after the new cabinet, led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte, was installed by Queen Beatrix. The cabinet is controversial because Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) were unable to form a majority coalition and turned to the PVV for support to get the required majority.

Wilders is currently on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims through his speeches and writings in recent years, including writings in which he compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf.

In June's general election, the VVD won a total of 31 seats, making it the largest party. The main opposition party, the Labour Party (PvdA), won 33 seats while the PVV finished third with 24 seats. The CDA won 21 seats during the election, a sharp drop from 41 seats in 2006.

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