2nd Dutch Minister resigns over Afghan evacuation

Bijleveld's resignation on Friday comes a day after Foreign Affairs Minister Sigrid Kaag stepped down over the issue, reports Xinhua news agency. "I wanted to continue with the task that I face, the evacuation of the men and women on the front line, and the interpreters, who are still in Afghanistan," Bijleveld said.

Dutch Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld has stepped down after a motion of disapproval against her for the chaotic handling of evacuations from Afghanistan.

Bijleveld's resignation on Friday comes a day after Foreign Affairs Minister Sigrid Kaag stepped down over the issue, reports Xinhua news agency.

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"I wanted to continue with the task that I face, the evacuation of the men and women on the front line, and the interpreters, who are still in Afghanistan," Bijleveld said.

"However, as my job became the subject of a discussion I could not do it in a good way anymore."

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Bijleveld had said on Thursday, before a debate in Parliament, that she would stay on anyway.

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However, when the motions of disapproval received a majority vote, and Kaag resigned, tensions arose within her Christian Democrats Party.

The motions of disapproval followed a heated debate in Parliament about the chaotic evacuation of the Netherlands embassy staff from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power.

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Kaag and Bijleveld were held responsible for not picking up signals from Parliament, and from embassy staff in Afghanistan, that an emergency situation was about to arise.

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The resignations come in the middle of difficult talks over the formation of a new Dutch government.

General elections were held in the country in March this year, but an agreement on a coalition government has still not been reached.

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