DEN HAAG, 14/01/03 - Two-thirds of the Dutch consider the Labour (PvdA) party should disclose before the 22 January general election who it will put forward as Prime Minister if it emerges the largest party, according to a survey presented yesterday by pollster Maurice de Hond. Among PvdA voters, only 37 percent demand clarity.

If PvdA leader Wouter Bos continues to keep silent on the premiership position, this will cost him 4 to 6 Lower House seats, according to De Hond. The party would also not be wise to put forward former parliamentary leader Jeltje van Nieuwenhoven, as her candidacy would cause the PvdA to lose 6 seats. Putting forward Amsterdam Mayor Job Cohen or his Tilburg counterpart Johan Stekelenburg would cost the PvdA 3 to 4 seats.

The best premier for the PvdA appears to be Bos, who has however indicated he is not available for the job. If he were to reconsider this, 50 percent of those interviewed would find this "not credible". But the PvdA would nevertheless lose just one seat with Bos for premier, according to De Hond.

For now, the PvdA can count on obtaining 41 of the 150 Lower House seats, as many as in De Hond's last poll on Friday. The Christian democrats (CDA) again lose one seat to keep 38, while the conservatives (VVD) are seen winning one to get 32.

The Socialist Party (SP) would obtain 14 seats, and the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) and leftwing Greens (GroenLinks) 7 each. The orthodox Christian ChristenUnie and SGP parties would win 4 and 2 seats respectively, the center-left D66, 4 seats, and Liveable Netherlands, 1.