Ad Melkert Politician
Adrianus Petrus Wilhelmus "Ad" Melkert (Dutch: [ˈɑt ˈmɛlkərt] (13px ); February 12, 1956) is a Dutch politician of the Labour Party (PvdA). He served as a Member of the House of Representatives from June 3, 1986 until August 22, 1994 when he became Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the Cabinet Kok I following the Dutch general election of 1994. At the end of the parliamentary period, he was not included in the Cabinet Kok II after the Dutch general election of 1998 by his own request, as he wanted to focus his energies on his candidacy to succeed Wim Kok as the next Party leader of the Labour Party. Melkert returned to the Member of the House of Representatives on July 13, 1998 and became the Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on July 13, 1998 and became the presumed de facto next Party leader of the Labour Party in all but name. He was elected the official Party leader of the Labour Party on December 15, 2001 and became the lijsttrekker (top candidate) for the Dutch general election of 2002.Melkert and Hans Dijkstal were the front runners to become the next Prime Minister in the early stages of the campaign, but the unexpected arrival of Pim Fortuyn of Livable Netherlands (LN) and later the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF), turned the polls. Fortuyn blamed the problems in the country on the Purple cabinets (in which both Melkert and Dijkstal served as ministers) and depicted Melkert and Dijkstal as two bureaucrats who were out of touch with the voter's concerns. During the election Fortuyn accused Melkert of the demonization of his character and personal integrity. After a heated campaign Fortuyn was assassinated in Hilversum a mere nine days before polling day. The Labour Party suffered a landslide defeat in the election, losing 23 seats, Melkert was blamed for the defeat primary because of his technocratic leadership in contrast to the more charismatic Fortuyn. After Fortuyn's assassination Melkert received death threats and sequentially left national politics. He resigned as Party leader of the Labour Party and Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives on May 16, 2002 and gave up his seat in the House of Representatives on October 17, 2002.Following his career in Dutch politics, he worked at the World Bank and the United Nations.
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Office holder
| office | Member of the House of Representatives Under Secretary-General and the Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq Minister of Social Affairs and Employment Parliamentary leader of the Labour Party Party leader of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives |
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