The Public Prosecutor in Rotterdam has launched an investigation into how proxy votes were solicited by local party Liveable Rotterdam.

The investigation comes after an e-mail emerged in which one of the party’s councillors gives tips on how to accumulate proxy votes.

The councillor, Ronald Buijt, also wrote that he had 50 reliable Rotterdammers who could take the proxy votes to the polling stations.

The electoral council says this goes against the spirit of proxy voting which should only be used at the initiative of the voter.

The council says it is up to the Public Prosecution Office to judge the actions of Liveable Rotterdam.

The party says it has done nothing unlawful. This latest irregularity adds to the litany of complaints against the poll in Rotterdam in last week’s municipal election.

As a result, votes in Rotterdam are due to be recounted on Thursday.

Rotterdam’s largest party, the Labour Party, only beat Liveable Netherlands by 650 votes. Liveable Netherlands called for a recount almost immediately after the poll.

Meanwhile The Hague has rejected calls by the Freedom Party to investigate irregularities at the city’s polling stations after YouTube footage showed more than one voter enter voting cubicles and one voter not casting his voting slip in the ballot box.

The Hague council says the municipal elections went well in the city and besides it is too late to lodge a complaint. This should have been done on Friday, when the result was announced.

Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party is the second largest party in The Hague after the Labour Party. Geert Wilders who received a large number of preferential votes in The Hague says he will try to combine his job as an MP and the work of a city councillor.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide