Burqa ban agreed to win anti-Islam party's support

TWO centre-right parties have agreed to ban the burqa in the Netherlands as a price for support from the anti-Islam Freedom Party for their minority government.

The pact, presented yesterday, envisages €18 billion (15.5bn) in cuts and aims to bring the deficit within European Union limits by 2013. It tightens rules on immigration, boosts police numbers and makes coffee shops - were cannabis is legally used - closed clubs.

The size of parliament and the senate will be cut by a third, there will be fewer ministries and local government levels and spending on culture and the public broadcaster will be cut.

Freedom Party leader Geert Wilders said the measures would cut non-western immigration by half. The pact still needs approval by a Christian Democrat (CDA) congress tomorrow after it failed to resolve divisions on Freedom Party support during 15 hours of talks on Wednesday.

If the coalition deal is rejected by the CDA, it could prolong a policy deadlock on how to cut the budget deficit from 5.8 per cent of gross domestic product.

Prominent CDA figures have spoken against working with Mr Wilders, who is on trial for inciting hatred against Muslims, but some now expect the CDA congress to approve the deal.