The former sp.a Brussels councillor Ans Persoons reiterated what she had said about other members of the former communal government: she had to go if she refused to look into how Yvan Mayeur could become a councillor. She said the request didn’t just come from the Socialists. “First councillor Alain Courtois (MR) also wanted me to do this”, she told the TV program “De Zevende Dag” (VRT).
After it was announced that Yvan Mayeur would be resigning on Thursday, the Flemish councillor got a phone call from someone who asked her to look into how he could become a councillor, but she refused. The Flemish Socialists think Mayeur should quit communal politics altogether. Communal authorities met at 5pm, and the outgoing mayor presided over the meeting, much to the former councillor’s surprise. The request was made again and she gave them the same response, Mrs Persoons said. She was then told she should go if she refused to help. She then left the meeting. No-one called Mrs Persoons back and the other participants shared out her role between them, she claimed.
When interviewed by “C’est n’est pas tous les jours dimanche” (RTL-TVi), the sp.a President John Crombez gave the same version of events. He said “people from the MR” and Yvan Mayeur asked Mrs Persoons to go if she refused to do what they wanted. The Flemish Socialist President says he was also asked to do the same. He did not say who approached him. He did say it was not Laurette Onkelinx, the President of the PS for the Brussels Federation.
Both Councillor Els Ampe (Open Vld), who is now in charge of Dutch-language Affairs, and Mr Courtois have denied this took place. Mr Crombez has denied starting a communications operation that would help him distance himself from the PS, which has become very unpopular in Flanders.
(Source: Belga)
