STORY: Netherlands holds parliamentary elections
SHOOTING TIME: Nov. 15/Nov. 22, 2023
DATELINE: Nov. 23, 2023
LENGTH: 00:00:44
LOCATION: Amsterdam
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of street scenes in Amsterdam
2. various of elections

STORYLINE:

The Netherlands kicked off on Wednesday a nationwide vote to elect a new parliament and a replacement for outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

At 7:30 a.m. local time (0630 GMT), all 9,000 polling stations in the Netherlands opened their doors for the 2023 parliamentary elections.

A total of 26 parties joined the race in a fragmented Dutch political landscape. Rutte, who led the past four governments, cast his vote on Wednesday morning in the Hague, for the last time as PM.

The previous elections in March 2021 ended in a landslide victory for the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) of Rutte with 34 of the 150 seats.

According to the latest polls conducted by Peilingwijzer and cited by national broadcaster NOS, four parties are in the race to become the largest party.

Residents aged 18 and older are allowed to vote, which amounts to an estimated 13.3 million eligible voters. 

The official results of the 2023 Dutch parliamentary elections are expected to be announced on Dec. 1.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Amsterdam.
(XHTV)