THE HAGUE, 24/01/03 - Employers' organization VNO-NCW considers that the Christian democrats (CDA), as largest party, should make haste to form a cabinet. "The CDA can avail itself of various majorities," a spokesman observed yesterday.

VNO-NCW hopes that a new government will take office as soon as possible. "Political decision-making in the Netherlands has been dormant for far too long already. The arrears in numerous areas have increased even further," according to the spokesman.

The employers' organization was not prepared to exclude any of the possible cabinets in advance. "It is generally known that our members are not in favor of a cabinet with Labour (PvdA), as this party has included heavier taxes for businesses in its election manifesto," the spokesman declared. "But the sharp edges can always be smoothed down during coalition talks," he added.

The trade union federations made no secret of their preference for a CDA-PvdA government. "The voters have shown clearly that they reject the right-wing CDA, conservative (VVD) and Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) cabinet and support a more social policy," an FNV spokeswoman observed. A spokesman for the CNV assumed that agreements could be made with CDA and PvdA on wage moderation and the reform of the job disability benefit (WAO) system.