The Dutch right-wing politician Pim Fortuyn was shot dead on Monday when he left a radio studio in the central Dutch city of Hilversum after giving an interview, according to reports reaching Brussels.
Reports quoted police sources as saying that Fortuyn was shot six times and suffered multiple wounds in the chest and neck.
Eyewitnesses said that they saw militant-type figures at the media park where the radio station is located.
Fortuyn's anti-immigration party made surprising gains in recent elections and it has been predicted to do well in the forthcoming general elections slated for 15 May of 2002.
Fortuyn allegedly provoked public indignation by calling for the Netherlands' borders to be closed to foreigners and by describing Islam as a "backward" religion.
EU Denounces the Killing
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana Tuesday called the murder of Dutch anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn a tragedy and a criminal act.
"It is a tragedy and I have to denounce any criminal acts against anybody, in particular politicians," Solana told reporters.
"You may disagree with the ideas but democracy is true to freedom of expression and ... everybody has the right to express ideas," said Solana, the first leading EU official in response to the killing.
Fortuyn, a shaven-headed maverick who was openly gay, shook Dutch politics with his policies and his populist bid to become prime minister. He was gunned down outside a radio station on Monday after giving an interview.
France Shocked by the Murder
France was shocked by Monday's murder of Dutch far-right politician Pim Fortuyn, the French Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
"We are shocked by this assassination. We understand the emotion that it has caused in the Netherlands. We assure our Dutchfriends of all our sympathy," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Francois Rivasseau.
Fortuyn, a shaven-headed maverick, who was openly gay, was gunned down outside a radio station after giving an interview on Monday, nine days before the Dutch national elections. His anti-immigrant party was poised to make a strong showing in the polls.
Scheduled General Elections to Continue
Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok said on Tuesday that the general elections scheduled for May 15 will go ahead as planned, despite the assassination of far-right politician Pim Fortuyn on Monday evening.
The prime minister met with leaders of main political parties in the country, especially Fortuyn's party, before announcing the decision, press reports here said.
"It would be sensible not to change the original date," Wim Kok was quoted as saying at a press conference.
Fortuyn, 54, an openly gay politician who was attracting widespread support for his policy of restricting immigration to the Netherlands, was shot dead on Monday evening by a lone gunman.
Reports said that during Tuesday's meeting with the prime minister, his party -- Fortuyn's List -- requested that elections be held as originally planned.
(Xinhua News Agency May 8, 2002)
