Jobbik, LMP discuss Hungary’s election system

Budapest, September 21 (MTI) – Representatives of Jobbik and the green opposition LMP met on Wednesday to discuss potential amendments to Hungary’s election system.

The talks centred on the enforcement of the principle of proportionality, the laws pertaining to postal voting and the campaign finance law.

LMP co-leader Ákos Hadházy told reporters after the meeting that having a separate set of rules for Hungarians voting abroad and guaranteeing naturalised citizens a 10-year right to vote in elections counted as election fraud.

Hadházy said an election was only democratic if all of its participants had agreed to its rules. But this can only work if everyone in the opposition takes the matter seriously, he said. Hadházy , at the same time, rejected the suggestion that by saying this, LMP was offering a coalition alliance to other parties.

He criticised the rule that bars Hungarians working abroad from voting by mail, as naturalised ethnic Hungarians are allowed to. He also said the current election system did not adhere to the principle of proportionality, arguing that there was a large gap between parties’ vote shares and the number of seats they obtain in parliament.

Hadházy also criticised the campaign finance law under which he said government subsidies that were handed out to “shell parties” in 2014 could not be refunded.