Geert Dales left immediately as chairman of 50PLUS on Sunday, the elderly party reports on her website. Last month he announced that he would stay on until 1 August, the day that a new board is elected.
Dales announced on April 26 that the board would resign, after a major conflict had arisen within the party in the weeks before.
In a statement on the 50PLUS website, Dales writes that he “can confidently heed the call of all kinds of party members, whether or not” prominent “, to leave,” after the board has made preparations for the general members meeting on August 1.
Despite the “annoying outcome”, Dales says he looks back with satisfaction on two years of 50PLUS chairmanship. During that period, according to him, there was “rest in the tent” and the image of the party got “greatly improved”.
The main board, which now only consists of Bert Kannegieter and Robert Gielisse, announces that it is “determined to continue on the path” and will transfer its responsibilities to a new, still preferable, seven-person board.
Dales accused of ‘autocratic and less democratic’ style of administration
The 50PLUS MPs complained about Dales’ “autocratic and less democratic” style of government. They also blamed him for foul language, he would be insulting to members and derogatory towards the people’s representatives.
Due to the conflict with chairman Dales, seven of the nine main board members have recently left. Ten of the twelve provincial presidents and a large number of members of Parliament also expressed their confidence in him.
At the beginning of this month, party leader and group chairman Henk Krol also announced that he will step down to start a new movement: the Party for the Future. Corrie van Brenk succeeded Krol as party leader of 50PLUS and the party put forward Martin van Rooijen as a possible new party leader.
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