What do you think of this? Who shall I vote for? Or should i draw a straw to decide?

Question

I left Belgium 25 years ago, i was still a minor. I went to live in Holland and now further afield.
One of the reasons i left was the 'Kiesplicht'. (Voting is not a right, it's a duty in Belgium. They can make it so because they haven't ratified all of the Human Rights Act! I think it is section 8, if my memory serves me right)
Now they (the Belgian government) are telling me i have to vote in their federal elections coming up in the next few months!?!
I voted in the UK elections as a European national.
Can the Belgians really make me vote for their federal elections? Or have i got a case for a human rights lawyer?
And finally, who shall i vote for? Cause for now it seems i won't be getting out of it.
And yes, if your argument is good enough i might just for your party. :-)

Hmm ...when i was younger invalid votes would go to the majority. Which is why i would rather draw a straw to be honest.

Nikki: They've changed it, paperwork came from the embassy and i spoke to them, there's no way out.

Rosette: 'Tuurlijk, mo liefst ip zun Brugsch ;-)

Answer 1

Please vote for anyone except Vlaams Belang

Put a pin in the paper or whatever, please use your vote to stop these people.

Under the former guise Vlaams Blok they were convicted of incitement to hate and discrimination in 2002 and dispanded or rebranded, depending on how you look upon it.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, who is known to be a liberal political critic of Islam in the Netherlands, and to whom Vlaams Belang on different occasions referred to defend its points of view on Islam, called the party "a racist, anti-Semitic, extremist party that is unkind to women and that should be outlawed."

i understand that it is a pain to vote and i'm sure i'd be perplexed as to why i must if i had been away for so long but use it against vlaams belang and the far right.

Please

Answer 2

Hi, I agree with Nicki B.
If you live in belgium, tough luck you will have to sacrifice your time and vote.
If you are abroad for the time being you just get a certificate of the police where you are staying locally that you where present there on that particular day and so not in the possibility to cast your vote in belgium. That is what I did on several occasions since I worked alot abroad. You just need to sent it to the community where you normally have to vote.
I read in your comments that you don't seem to get out of it. if that is the case I would sujest you vote socialist. But then again that is a mare sujestion. Do check out the possibilities to cast a vote. If you have a member of your family still living in Belgium you can give them your permission to vote for you. Good luck.

Answer 3

He cheated. He had a decrease straw. this is an entire length straw with a decrease section. It sounds like an prolonged straw. So if he chooses it it will be an prolonged straw. yet once you pick it he will carry the backside of it and it will wreck off once you pull it out. That way no count what you get the quick straw. hahaha. That purely sux! haha So is your mom staying with you or not staying with you? what's the winner and what's the loser?

Answer 4

Well...I'm Belgian...I know about the "duty" to vote here. Believe me, most of us don't like it.
I do know from previous elections that people -if they don't go voting- do NOT get fined for not coming. People who have to sit there to help people out with their papers...they do get fined and sometimes have to come to court.
I don't understand that our government want people to vote if they don't live here any more, these people aren't even aware of our system and don't know who to vote for.
I wouldn't worry if I were you. If you're not interested in going...DON'T GO.
But if you go...be sure not to vote VLD, they haven't done too well these last few years.
Are you still able to speak & write our language after all these years?
good luck!

Answer 5

If you living in outside of Belgium you can vote or to choose not voting (Its happen to me when I was in Vancouver in 2003)

If you are living to Belgium and you have nationality Belgian you have to vote !!!

Maybe this year I will white vote to do, cause politics sucks !! They never promise et do always their side and not about people , especially in my province Luxembourg :(

Answer 6

It really don't sound fair, but they just might be able to make you vote, unless if you or your family have renounced Belgium as your nation and gained citizenship in Holland, but maybe to them, your still a national. Definatly something to look into

Answer 7

If you still have your Belgian citizenship, and if you live in Belgium, you have to vote. If you don't you face fines, but you already know this. You can always go there and give a protest vote by submitting a blank vote. Either way your're making a trip to the voting booth mate.
As who to vote for, well I always ask my wife as I'm a new Belgian and I don't really care who I vote for (to be honest they're all the same). She tells me to vote CD&V. She tells me that he (the leader) hasn't been caught in any lies AND he has (as head of the Flemmish parliament) balanced the budget. But if you want to shake things up a bit, vote for the Vlaams Belang. They're not racist, but they are extreamly right wing. I tell my wife I'm voting Vlaams Belang just to get a rise out of her.

Answer 8

If voting is a DUty then DO IT...
It is a belgian law and u have to obey it no matter what..

And i do not understand..why all the complications?? if u really do not care ..just go..make yr vote Unvalid..and good Bye..why should u look 4 problems where there aren't any..
make it easier..my oppinion

Answer 9

my wife moved from blankenberge belgium 2 years ago to uk with me she does not vote just gets a headed letter of her employer here in uk stating not possible to vote as she is in uk working

Answer 10

don't vote! i was born and still live in belgium and never did! nothing happened to me