Election cttee throws out referendum initiatives

Budapest, June 9 (MTI) – The National Election Committee (NVB) on Thursday threw out three referendum initiatives submitted by the same person concerning the release of information on public funds and rules governing fraud or embezzlement involving public assets.

The first referendum question sought to ensure full public access to all agreements concerning the state budget, European Union funding for Hungary as well as publicly owned assets.

The committee ruled that if all agreements were to be published, personal information contained therein should be published, too. Personal data, however, are protected under the constitution, and a constitutional amendment would be necessary. But a referendum cannot be held on the constitution.

The second question similarly sought the release of documents concerning the privatisation or lease of state-owned assets, and a ban on classifying related information. The body again cited the protection of personal information and turned down the initiative.

Through the third question, the proponent sought to change the penal code so that budget fraud, embezzlement or abuse concerning national assets or public funds should never become obsolete and continue to be punishable without statute of limitation.

András Patyi, the committee’s head, cited an error in the question, which referred to the act on national assets rather than to the penal code. He also said the question was misleading because “it suggests that not only public funds can be involved in budget fraud” and was therefore discriminatory, because it made an “unjustified” distinction between fraud or embezzlement involving private and public funds.

Decisions of the NVB can be appealed within 15 days.

Election cttee rejects Liberal plea on popular vote

The National Election Committee on Thursday rejected a plea lodged by the Liberal Party to outlaw the government’s referendum campaign on European Union mandatory migrant quotas.

The Liberals argued that the government’s campaign material is not informative but seeks to influence voters to reject the quota plan. At the same time, the rules state that a campaign can only be mounted fifty days before the date for the popular vote, and since a date has not yet been set the current campaign is illegal, the Liberals said.

Photo: MTI

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