Election 2018 – Opposition leaders cast votes, welcome high turnout

Leaders of Hungary’s opposition parties cast their votes in Hungary’s general election on Sunday and welcomed the high turnout of voters at the polls.

Gergely Karácsony, PM candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd party alliance, voted in Budapest’s 14th district, and said that the high turnout was a “sign of encouragement” to those that wanted to see a different government. He said he was convinced that people wanting change were in majority but “the question was if they would turn up to vote”. He added that turnout might be as high as over 70 percent at the end of the day.

Gábor Vona, the head of radical nationalist Jobbik, told journalists after casting his ballot in Gyöngyös, his home town, that Sunday’s ballot “will decide Hungary’s future for at least the next two generations”.

“At stake at today’s ballot is whether or not Hungary will become a country of emigrants”, he said.

Commenting on the already high turnout, Vona said it gave hope for a change in government and encouraged Hungarians to go to the polls. He said Jobbik would be willing to cooperate with LMP, Momentum and “new parties” for building a “21st century Hungary”.

Democratic Coalition (DK) leader Ferenc Gyurcsány said he trusted in an opposition victory in light of the turnout figures. He said he hoped the opposition “will be busy making preparations for a new government from Monday on”.

After casting his ballot in Budapest’s 2nd district, Gyurcsány said ruling Fidesz was likely to garner fewer votes than suggested in the polls; with less than 40 percent Fidesz will become a minority”. “It is difficult to tell if they could secure a parliamentary majority once, in the political sense, they are minority,” Gyurcsány said and added that he considered the current electoral system “not legitimate”.

featured image: MTI

Source: MTI