E-PM To Turn To CCourt, Ombudsman For Referendum On Paks Expansion

Budapest, May 8 (MTI) – The opposition E-PM party will appeal to Hungary’s Constitutional Court and the ombudsman and do its utmost to enforce a referendum on the expansion of the Paks nuclear plant, the party’s co-chair said today.

An initiative for a popular vote was lodged by Javor and party co-leader Viktor Szigetvari after Hungary signed an agreement with Russia on upgrading the plant with two new blocks on January 14.

Under the agreement Russia is lending Hungary 10 billion euros at variable rates of 3.95-4.95 percent interest to cover 80 percent of the project’s costs, which Hungary is set to repay in euros.

The question E-PM wants put to voters is: “Do you agree that the new reactor blocks should not be built in Hungary using a loan which inflates the public debt?”

The Kuria, Hungary’s supreme court, on Wednesday upheld a decision by the National Election Committee (NVB) ruling out a referendum on the expansion of the Paks nuclear power station.

The Kuria said in a statement on its website that it had rejected a petition against the committee’s decision on the basis that the country’s fundamental law bars holding a popular ballot on agreements deriving from obligations set forth in an international accord.

Photo: www.mszp8.hu

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