“The CDA regrets that this campaign had to lead to the resignation of alderman Valkering, but we respect his decision.”
campaign message
The former alderman received a slap on the wrist from the college of mayor and aldermen after a letter with a CDA campaign message was delivered to residents of the municipality of Bergen last night. The letter was drawn up on paper that resembles municipal letterhead and was enclosed in an envelope with the same logo.
In the letter Klaas Valkering thanks the addressees for their trust in him and calls on them to ‘go for peace and results’ (the CDA campaign slogan) in the upcoming elections.
Valkering writes, among other things: “There is only one question in these elections: do we opt for another four years of hassle in the municipality? Or do we opt for peace and results? I choose the latter and again ask for your vote and your to trust.”
Correction
Just before Valkering’s departure, Mayor Lars Voskuil said that the letter was ‘distributed without the knowledge of the municipality, the council and/or the municipal organization’.
Voskuil also said that he takes the incident ‘highly’ and considers it ‘as an attempt to deceive, which could damage the good name and reputation of the municipality of Bergen’. According to the mayor, the letter could also damage the ‘integrity of the process of our independent elections’.
For this he called on the CDA to make a clear correction of the letter and indicated that the rectification would be distributed differently through municipal channels.
Valkering will remain CDA party leader in the upcoming elections.