Political Killing Stuns Netherlands

The suspected killer of Dutch maverick politician Pim Fortuyn had environmentalist propaganda and ammunition at his home, public prosecutors said on Tuesday. But chief public prosecutor Theo Hofstee said the man suspected of gunning down the gay anti-immigration Fortuyn on Monday had shed no light on the motive for the attack.

"The suspect has made no statement," Hofstee told reporters, adding that the 32-year-old man had no criminal record but that bullets were found at his home that matched the calibre of casings found at the murder scene.

Hofstee said a search on Monday night of the man's home in the central town of Harderwijk "found that he was in possession of material that indicates involvement in environmental activism," though he said he made no link between that and the murder. He also said police found a car used by the suspect in Hilversum, where Fortuyn was shot after giving a radio interview, and that the unnamed suspect was calm and "in possession of his senses" when he was arrested shortly after the killing.

The suspect will make an initial court appearance in Amsterdam on Wednesday, where prosecutors will ask for permission to extend his custody. Fortuyn was shot six times in the head, neck and chest by a lone assailant outside the radio station in Hilversum, a town about 12 miles southeast of Amsterdam.

The Dutch general election will go ahead on May 15 as scheduled despite the killing, Prime Minister Wim Kok said on Tuesday. The cabinet had been considering delaying the election amid fears of public unrest after Monday's shooting of Fortuyn by a lone gunman in an attack that has stunned this usually peaceful country.

"(Our consultations) have brought us to the conclusion that it is sensible to go ahead with the original date (of the election)," Kok told reporters after talks with other political leaders including those of Fortuyn's right-wing party.

Vice Prime Minister Annemarie Jorritsma said that holding elections after the candidate's assassination would be "bizarre," and Els Borst, another deputy premier, said "maybe a time-out is necessary." But Fortuyn's party suggested the vote go ahead as planned.

"Pim loved democracy and elections, It's in the best interests of everyone that the election should be held," Fortuyn party spokesman Mat Herben said.

Thousands of mourners in Fortuyn's hometown, Rotterdam, left flowers, candles and handwritten notes outside his home. The city hall stayed open through the night so people could write tributes in a public register.

Police arrested 20 Fortuyn fans after riots broke out in downtown The Hague. Several hundred protesters gathered in the city's main square, next to the government, where they chanted "murders, murders," smashed windows and burned cars.

The killing was the first assassination in modern Dutch history and sent shock waves through the Netherlands, where most political leaders go without bodyguards and many ride public transportation.

A former academic and columnist who was gay, Fortuyn stormed onto the political stage in March when his party won 35 percent of the vote in local elections in Rotterdam, a port with a large immigrant population.

His success led other parties to pledge to re-examine the country's generous refugee policy. About one person in eight comes from a non-Dutch background, and nearly half of those come from Islamic countries.

Fortuyn dictated debate during the election campaign with verbal attacks on the growing Muslim population. He called Islam a "backward" culture and said the Netherlands should reconsider its law guaranteeing freedom from discrimination.

Fortuyn's platform seemed out of place in the Netherlands — the first country to legalize gay marriages, regulate prostitution, approve and control euthanasia and tolerate the over-the-counter sale of marijuana.

Fortuyn had expressed fears for his safety after protesters threw two urine-laced cream pies in his face a few weeks ago.

But in the radio interview minutes before his death, he was asked how long he expected to live. He said: "I'm not going to die soon. I'm going to live to be 87."