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Thursday 16 March 2017
Exit Poll: all but conservative
Tillerson shunning
Dutch PM Rutte Beats Wilders in Netherlands Vote website in Asia trip

MIKE CORDER ous,” he added. The fight erupted over the into the largest party on the MATTHEW LEE
RAF CASERT Wilders had insisted that Netherlands’ refusal to let left wing of Dutch politics AP Diplomatic Writer
Associated Press whatever the result of the two Turkish government for the first time. WASHINGTON (AP) — A
THE HAGUE, Netherlands election, the kind of popu- ministers address rallies in The Greens leapt from four reporter from a conserva-
tive-leaning website is the
(AP) — Dutch Prime Minis- list politics he and others Rotterdam about a ref- seats to 16 in parliament af- only media representa-
ter a strong campaign by tive flying with Secretary of
charismatic leader Jesse State Rex Tillerson on his trip
Klaver, who invites compar- to Asia this week.
isons to Canadian Prime The website, the Indepen-
Minister Justin Trudeau, ac- dent Journal Review, said
cording to the exit poll. late Tuesday that IJR re-
“This is a fantastic result porter Erin McPike is the
for us, a historic victory,” lone journalist accompa-
Green Left chairwoman nying Tillerson to Japan,
Marjolein Meijer said. South Korea and China.
It remains to be seen if the The State Department con-
30-year-old Klaver will take firmed the account.
his party into the next ruling Tillerson arrived in Tokyo on
coalition, which looks likely Wednesday for the first leg
to be dominated by Rutte’s of the trip, which is occur-
VVD and other right-lean- ring amid escalating ten-
ing parties. sions with North Korea.
The Labor Party of Euro- The department originally
had said Tillerson would not
group President Jeroen take journalists with him as
Dijsselbloem appeared he was traveling on a small
to have been punished plane. It said accommo-
by voters in the election, dations would be made
Prime Minister Mark Rutte of the free-market VVD party speaks to his supporters after exit poll plunging from 38 seats at for those who traveled
results of the parliamentary elections were announced in The Hague, Netherlands, Wednesday, the last election to just nine, commercially. But Tillerson
March 15, 2017. according to the Ipsos exit ended up taking a Boeing
(AP Photo/Patrick Post) poll. 737, which could have ac-

ter Mark Rutte on Wednes- in Europe represent aren’t erendum that could give Because of the result, it commodated some of the
usual contingent of State
day claimed a dominat- going away. Turkey’s President Recep looked unlikely Dijsselbloem Department journalists,
ing parliamentary elec- “Rutte has not seen the Tayyip Erdogan more pow- would be able to hang on each of whom pays his or
tion victory over lawmaker back of me!!” Wilders said ers. It gave Rutte an oppor- to his post of leading the her own way for trips.
Geert Wilders, who failed in a Twitter message after tunity to refuse to bow to 19-nation Eurogroup, which A number of Washington-
the year’s first litmus test for the exit poll results had sunk foreign pressure, a stance manages the currency of based correspondents in-
populism in Europe. in. with widespread backing the European Union nations stead met up with Tillerson
The Netherlands’ main Both France and Germany in the nation. that use the euro. in Japan. On his first two
exit poll suggested Rutte’s have elections this year in Amsterdam Free Univer- Rutte had framed the elec- trips as secretary of state,
party won 31 seats in the which far-right candidates sity political scientist Andre tion as a choice between Tillerson traveled with a
150-member legislature, and parties are hoping to Krouwel said the clash with continuity and chaos, por- small number of “pool” re-
12 more than Wilders’ par- make an impact. Ankara allowed Rutte to traying himself as a safe porters who provided infor-
ty, which shared second “Wilders could not win the tell the electorate, “’We custodian of the nation’s mation about his events to
place with two other par- election,” German socialist are the ones who really economic recovery and a broader group of report-
ties. leader Martin Schulz tweet- protect your interests; we casting Wilders as a far- ers. McPike, the IJR report-
Following Britain’s vote to ed. are the ones who go down right radical who was un- er, is traveling unilaterally
leave the European Union “I am relieved, but we need into the trenches to defend prepared to make tough and is not a pool reporter.
and Donald Trump’s elec- to continue to fight for an the Netherlands.’” decisions. Multiple reporters from nu-
tion as U.S. president, “the open and Free Europe.” Under brilliant skies, the The chance of Wilders be- merous global, national
Netherlands said, ‘Whoa! Rutte, who for much of the Dutch went to vote in huge coming prime minister in and regional news organi-
zations have traveled with
Stop!’ to the wrong kind of campaign appeared to be numbers, with turnout esti- the Netherlands, where a the secretary of state for
populism,” said Rutte, who racing to keep pace with mated to have reached at proportional representation nearly 50 years under Re-
is now poised for a third Wilders, may have profited 82 percent. voting system all but guar- publican and Democratic
term as prime minister. from the hard line he drew In a subplot of the elections, antees coalition govern- administrations, which
“We want to stick to the in a diplomatic standoff the Ipsos exit poll had the ments, was remote, even if believed their presence
course we have — safe with Turkey over the past Green Left party registering his party had placed first in helped inform American
and stable and prosper- week. a historic victory, turning it the election.q taxpayers and foreign
governments and publics
US won’t participate in UN Right Council without reforms about U.S. policy.
The State Department Cor-
respondents Association
EDITH M. LEDERER rights agency undergoes that the U.S. will continue to States to maintain its en- said in a statement it was
Associated Press “considerable reform.” participate in the council’s gagement with the rights “disappointed” in the de-
UNITED NATIONS (AP) — U.S. He gave no time frame for current session in Geneva. council. He urged them to cision for Tillerson to bring
Secretary of State Rex Tiller- reforms to take place, say- The eight organizations, encourage reforms in the only one reporter on the
son says the United States ing in a letter to eight non- which focus on human council, saying that “would trip, but would continue
will not continue partici- governmental organiza- rights and support for the be most helpful.” The letter to work with the State
pating in the Human Rights tions obtained Wednesday United Nations, wrote to was first reported by For- Department to address
Council unless the U.N. by The Associated Press Tillerson asking the United eign Policy magazine.q concerns.q