AMSTERDAM, 22/06/10 - Conservative Muslims have press-ganged aggressive young Moroccans into seizing power via intimidation in Amsterdam's Nieuw West district, according to De Volkskrant newspaper.

In the district elections on 7 December 2009, Ahmed Marcouch was put forward by the national Labour (PvdA) leadership as candidate PvdA leader of Nieuw West. Although he is Moroccan, many other Moroccans considered him too liberal. They put forward their own Moroccan candidate, Achmed Ba'adoud, who indeed defeated him.

The Osdorp, Slotervaart and Geuzenveld/Slotermeer districts in Amsterdam were merged to form the Nieuw-West borough in May. The three branches of the PvdA merged in June 2009 ahead of the three districts' merger. Ba'adoud began his campaign of intimidation at that time, according to De Volkskrant.

Ba'adoud supporters looked over the shoulders of Marcouch voters, according to a number of bystanders. "I saw youths that are not politically active, or to put it more strongly, who loathe politics. They were plucked off the street to intimidate (voters). They were hostile and said that they hate Marcouch. Three people put me under pressure to vote for Ba' adoud," one source said.

The newspaper says Ba'adoud was supported by "the multicultural events industry", subsidised job-finders and ethnic welfare workers. Youngsters were told that Marcouch was a homosexual, that he collaborates with white unbelievers and is pro-Israel, according to a member of the Moroccan community.

A PvdA committee headed by former Amsterdam PvdA leader Walter Etty is investigating the irregularities, De Volkskrant added. He is to report his findings this month.