AMSTERDAM, 26/02/09 - The great majority of small Christian party ChristenUnie voters reject the theory of evolution. And in the case of the Christian democrats (CDA), only a bare majority accept that humans are descended from apes, according to pollster Maurice de Hond.

This year is the 200th centenary of the birth of Charles Darwin, on the occasion of which De Hond carried out the poll on his discoveries. Some 72 percent accept the evolution theory, 19 percent reject it and 9 percent have no views.

The theory is most broadly accepted among leftwing Green (GroenLinks) voters at 91 percent, and conservative (VVD) voters at 83 percent. Among the voters for CDA, the biggest government party, the figure is 57 percent and among ChristenUnie supporters, just 25 percent.

Of the total sample, 31 percent believe a God exists who exercises influence on what happens on Earth. Some 56 percent do not believe this and 13 percent have no views.