THE HAGUE, 22/01/03 - Centre-left (D66) party leader Thom de Graaf is keeping the possibility of a coalition with the Christian democrats (CDA) and conservatives (VVD) open. "A moment may arrive when this option must be considered," he said yesterday in a press briefing.

De Graaf added that a coalition of D66 with CDA and VVD is not his first choice. His party would only consider joining the government if this is necessary for a majority. In any case, De Graaf would not join a coalition if D66 wins fewer than its current seven seats in today's election.

CDA and VVD have declared their mutual love repeatedly, but polls indicate that they will not emerge from the election with a combined majority. The question then is whether CDA will form a government with labour (PvdA) or aim at a three-party coalition. If D66 loses seats, as the polls predict, only the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) would seem eligible. The LPF would like to continue its collaboration with CDA and VVD, but the credibility of this coalition leaves something to be desired, CDA leader Jan Peter Balkenende had previously observed.

But Balkenende said at a campaign meeting in Rotterdam on Monday evening that he considered the substance more important than whether two or three parties should form a cabinet. He remarked that he excluded neither the PvdA nor the LPF at this stage, which represented a firmer position towards the PvdA and a slight softening towards the LPF.

Should a coalition be attempted with the PvdA, Balkenende is afraid of "endless discussions on the deductibility of mortgage interest, financial policy, healthcare, education and safety," he said. He considered that a minority CDA-VVD cabinet with the backing of the LPF would be "unwise".

De Graaf observed yesterday that Balkenende had set himself at a substantial distance from the PvdA in the course of the campaign. "If CDA and PvdA are forced by the election results to sit round the table together, this will not be a good start for the next cabinet," he pointed out.