THE HAGUE, Oct. 9 (Xinhua) -- The leaders of four Dutch parties reached a draft deal Monday on a coalition government after 208 days of negotiations.
The new coalition will consist of the rightist liberals' People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD), the Christian democrats' party Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the leftist liberals' Democrats 66 (D66) and the small Christian Union (CU).
Shortly after 11:00 a.m. (0900 GMT), the negotiators -- VVD leader Mark Rutte, also the Dutch prime minister, CDA leader Sybrand Van Haersma Buma, D66 leader Alexander Pechtold and CU leader Gert-Jan Segers -- stepped outside the Binnenhof, which houses the Dutch parliament, in The Hague to tell the press that a deal had been struck.
"I am very happy," said Rutte.
The deal will be studied by all lawmakers of the four parties and the details of the deal are expected to be unveiled Tuesday.
"We reached a deal which I will offer to my party members," said Buma.
Pechtold said, "I am satisfied, it is a solid, balanced deal."
"I have a very positive feeling," said Segers. "Our Members of Parliament will now decide, but I have a positive feeling about that. It is about giving and taking, but I am satisfied with the deal as a whole."
Rutte, who assumed office as the Dutch prime minister in 2010, will be sworn in by King Willem-Alexander for a new term once he finishes assembling his government of ministers in about two weeks.
The draft deal on the coalition came 208 days after Rutte's VVD won the elections on March 15. The process, from the announcement of the election result to the naming of all ministers, will be the longest in Dutch history. The previous record had been 208 days in 1977.
