Party chairman of the PvdA Peter Zwiers in Borger-Odoorn reports libel and slander against two residents of Tweede Exloërmond. According to Zwiers, the two mentioned him on social media and in emails, among other things, NSB and hook nose.
“It has to do with the dissolution of football association TEVV and the establishment of the new club De Treffer ’16,” says Zwiers. “I had no involvement in that, but I am accused of that. That in itself is not the worst, but the curses that come with it, they are over the border. I also do not see this as something between the two football clubs, but really something of two individuals exhibiting behavior that is not acceptable. Of that I have said this far and no further.”
Zwiers knows who they are, but does not reveal their identity. “I have filed a report and it is now up to the Public Prosecution Service to do something with it and to see whether there should be prosecution. I do not intend to reveal the names through the media in order to pillory them. .”
The party chairman deliberately waited with the declaration until after the municipal elections. “It has been going on for some time, but has intensified during the election campaign,” says Zwiers. “At that time a link was made with my political work. I thought that was a bad thing. But I consciously did not want to do anything with it during election time, because I think it does not belong in the political debate and also not in a period when people become installed and say goodbye. That’s why I waited a while.”
Zwiers does not only file the declaration for himself. “It can happen to anyone. You see more and more examples of this type of behavior in politics. I think that we as a silent majority should act against this and ensure that it is stopped.”