Jobbik MP Előd Novák gives up seat

Budapest, June 6 (MTI) – Jobbik MP Előd Novák said on Monday that he is returning his mandate after the party group’s vote of no confidence.

Novák said on his Facebook page party leader Gábor Vona had informed him that the new party board had called for his resignation.

“I decided that the regrettably unfinished disputes over the party programme should be considered closed and I accepted the new board as legitimate and wished them good luck for the next two years, but Gábor Vona still thought it necessary to have me excluded from the party group and unexpectedly he went ahead with hits today, individually consulting group members,” Novak said.

He said he would continue serving as Jobbik’s leader in Budapest’s 11th district, adding that he wants to keep working for Jobbik as a member and an activist and he considers it a “basic moral duty” to stay in the party.

Novák’s exclusion was decided by a secret ballot vote in which 18 MPs voted against him, four in favour and two abstained from voting. The group held an hour-and-a-half-long debate about Novak’s fate before the vote, Jobbik spokesman Ádám Mirkóczki told a press conference.

He said the party had yet to decide on Novák’s replacement.

Responding to a question, Mirkóczki said the development also puts Jobbik MP Dóra Dúro, Novák’s wife, in a difficult situation. “We all understand that … her situation is a very difficult one, but the vote of no confidence was not about her.” Mirkóczki said he expected that Duro would now “also think everything over” concerning her future with the group, but he declined to make any predictions about what her decision would be.

Photo: MTI

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