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This article was first published 13 years ago

IMAGES: No government? Protestors do a striptease!

Last updated on: February 18, 2011 15:31 IST

Image: Belgian actress Marijke Pinoy takes part in a mass striptease as a symbolic protest against Belgian politicians in central Ghent
Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
A number of protestors took to the streets of Belgium and stripped down to their underwear to mark what they are treating as a world record on Thursday -- 249 days without a government.

Politicians have been unable to form a coalition since elections on 13 June 2010.

...

No government? Protestors do a striptease!

Image: Belgians take part in a mass striptease as a symbolic protest against Belgian politicians
Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
The group of about 50, mostly students, stripped to their underwear in the northern city of Ghent and stood to form the word "unity" after leaders of 6 million Dutch-speakers were pitted against those of 4.5 million French speakers.

No government? Protestors do a striptease!

Image: The mass striptease in Ghent
Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
More than 1,000 people in the French-speaking town of Louvain-la-Neuve, carried the colours of the Belgian flag and formed the words Een-Un -- One is One -- in Dutch and French.

They called for more unity instead of the infighting, sniping and backbiting that has made it impossible to form a national government.

No government? Protestors do a striptease!


Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
There's an expression in Dutch to be naked and meaning to make a fool of oneself," the Telegraph quoted co-organiser Jouwe Vanhoutteghem, a masters student at Ghent University, as saying.

"Nothing has happened, the politicians have negotiated for 249 days and it is still a stalemate so they are making fools of themselves," Vanhoutteghem stated.

No government? Protestors do a striptease!

Image: A Belgian demonstrator takes part in a mass striptease
Photographs: Francois Lenoir/Reuters
There's an expression in Flemish to be naked and meaning to make a fool of oneself...the politicians have negotiated for 249 days and it is still a stalemate so they are making fools of themselves," said one of the organisers.

It is arguable whether 249 really is the world record, as Iraq took 249 days to get the outlines of a government agreement last year, but the approval of that government took a further 40 days.
Source: ANI