HOLLAND: Dutch prime minister Jan Peter Balkenende is on track to lead his Christian Democrats to victory in Wednesday's general election, although a scandal over prisoner abuse in Iraq could help the left gain some ground.
When Mr Balkenende called an early election after his centre-right coalition collapsed in June over its handling of the disputed citizenship of Somali-born Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali, polls gave the opposition Labour party a solid lead.
But a rebounding economy and aggressive Christian Democrat campaign have put Labour leader Wouter Bos on the defensive and set his poll ratings sliding in recent weeks, though neither left nor right looks set to win a clear majority.
The government's admission on Friday that Dutch intelligence officers possibly mistreated Iraqi prisoners in 2003 could help mobilise left-wing voters - as could the cabinet's decision to ban Muslim women wearing the burqa in public - but not enough for Mr Bos to win.
As leader of the biggest party, Mr Balkenende would be expected to try to form a new coalition, possibly with the liberal VVD party and the conservative Christian Union. Alternatively, he might have to team up with Labour in an uneasy right-left partnership.