Belgian parliament dissolved, elections on June 13

Brussels - Belgium's parliament voted to dissolve itself on Thursday, paving the way for snap elections on June 13, just two weeks before Belgium takes the European Union's rotating presidency.

The country has been torn by political infighting between the parties of the Dutch-speaking majority and French-speaking minority over their respective rights in the Brussels electoral district ever since elections in 2007.

The Chamber of Representatives, Belgium's federal parliament, approved a list of constitutional amendments to be dealt with by the next legislature, a formal step which triggers the automatic dissolution of the body, a parliamentary spokesman told the German Press Agency dpa.

The dissolution will take effect as soon as the motion is published in Belgium's official journal, the Monitor. The next edition is due to be published on Friday, while the next elections are to be held on June 13, he said.

The long-running feud between the language groups has bedeviled Belgium's government since the 2007 elections. The fourth administration to hold power since that poll fell on April 26.

The crisis comes at an embarrassing time for Belgium. The country is set to take over the EU's rotating presidency on July 1, and to chair debates on issues such as justice, home affairs, agriculture and economic and financial affairs.

In theory, the June 13 date would allow a government to form before the presidency begins. However, it took former premier Yves Leterme nine months to build a coalition after the last election, raising the question of whether his successor will manage a swifter transition this time round.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322360,belgian-parliament-dissolved-elections-on-june-13.html.