LMP lawmaker dumps manure in front of govt office building in protest of land sales

Budapest, November 23 (MTI) – Green opposition LMP lawmaker Benedek R Sallai on Monday dumped a truckload of manure in front of a government office building in Kaposvar, in southwest Hungary, in protest of the sale of state-owned farmlands.

R Sallai drove the truck to the scene himself before dumping the 2-3 cubic metres of manure onto the road and the sidewalk.

The lawmaker told MTI that the manure symbolised “the fact that something stinks” around the farmland auctions, adding that by dumping it in front of the government building, he aimed to emphasise that the government’s direction regarding the sales is wrong. “Fidesz is lying to the people. They’re dismantling everything and giving everything to their buddies. This whole thing stinks, just like manure.”

Police have launched an investigation against R Sallai on suspicion of violation of public sanitation and public order rules, Somogy County police spokesman said Zoltan Orban said.

The lawmaker was asked to clean up the pile of manure, but he refused to cooperate or relinquish his immunity, he said.

Asked why he did not give up his immunity, R Sallai said he wanted to take part in today’s corruption crackdown debate in parliament. R Sallai added, however, that later on he would be prepared to relinquish his immunity and face the consequences.

Government commissioner for Somogy County Zsolt Neszmenyi reacted to the news saying that R Sallai “lacks credibility” on the matter of land sales because he himself has vested interest in the scheme as he wanted to acquire “thousands of hectares” of land through a complex network of companies.

The opposition is working against the interests of farmers by trying to block the government from selling them land, Neszmenyi said.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters