THE HAGUE, 14/12/06 - The right-hand man of Pim Fortuyn's murderer is a staff member of the Party for the Animals (PvdD).

The PvdD is a debutant to the Lower House with two seats following the 22 November elections. The party is assisted by Sjoerd van der Wouw. He was chairman of the radical environmental group VMO. His right-hand man at VMO was Volkert van der Graaf, who killed Pim Fortuyn with five bullets on 6 May 2002.

Van der Wouw's presence causes concern to some parties in the Lower House. "I am not happy about this," leader Geert Wilders of the Party for Freedom (PVV) said in daily newspaper De Telegraaf yesterday. Christian democrat (CDA) MP Ger Koopmans is also concerned, the paper reported.

PvdD leader Marianne Thieme has no problem at all with her staff member's background. "He has helped to draw up motions because we had asked for the assistance of people we know."