Egyutt wants parliament to amend election laws this year

Budapest, January 29 (MTI) – The opposition Egyutt (Together) party wants parliament to first debate and then amend Hungary’s election laws this year, the party’s co-leader told a press conference on Thursday.

Viktor Szigetvari said the proposal would be submitted in writing to Prime Minister Viktor Orban and ruling Fidesz group leader Antal Rogan.

Szigetvari cited a Freedom House annual report on democracy published on Wednesday which downgraded Hungary because of its election system. The report said that Hungary’s political rights rating declined from 1, the best rank, to 2 “due to an election campaign that demonstrated the diminished space for fair competition given legislative and other advantages accrued by the ruling party.” It cited Prime Minister Viktor Orban as saying that a democracy should not necessarily be of liberal nature.

Szigetvari said that the election laws could be amended in autumn, following professional consultations.

Egyutt’s co-leader also referred to a National Election Committee report indicating problems with the system of recommendations and “some other conditions”. He also cited an OSCE report as saying that conditions were not equal for the parties during the 2014 elections.

Asked about the chance of early elections, the opposition is not yet prepared for taking over government but in 2018 it will be fit for the task, he said.

Egyutt prepares for making Prime Minister Viktor Orban defeatable in a fair and free election in 2018, Szigetvari said.

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