THE HAGUE, 05/03/03 - The caretaker cabinet will meet again on Friday to discuss the Lower House wish to give a specific group of asylum seekers residence permits. Integration Minister Hilbrand Nawijn however stated yesterday that the government may postpone the motion for its successors.

Nawijn wrote to the House that he did "not exclude that - in view of its caretaker status - the cabinet will leave a decision on the implementation of the motion put forward by the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) to the next cabinet. " Nawijn repeated that the LPF motion contradicts a motion submitted by the Christian democrats (CDA), which was also adopted.

The LPF motion appeals for creating a once-off ruling on the basis of which about 2,300 asylum seekers, who have already been waiting for the result of their first asylum application for more than five years, would receive a residence permit under certain conditions. The CDA motion calls on the minister to only use his power to deviate from cabinet policy in individual cases to extremely exceptional instances. Both motions were adopted two weeks ago because of support from Labour (PvdA) support, which has stressed that it advocates including the LPF plan in the coalition negotiations with the CDA.

LPF leader Mat Herben previously threatened to withdraw his ministers if the cabinet refused to implement the motion, although he later relaxed his position. Yesterday, leftwing Green (GroenLinks) MP Marijke Vos called it "scandalous that the government is trying to pass the buck. " She wishes to recall the House from recess for an unscheduled debate with Nawijn today or tomorrow.