Laws on assembly should be changed, says Fidesz official

Budapest (MTI) – Hungary’s laws on public assembly should be changed, but not because of recent anti-government demonstrations, Gergely Gulyas told daily Nepszabadsag on Wednesday.

The police have been able to enforce the law at recent demonstrations without problems despite the law’s widely-criticised shortcomings, Gulyas, the deputy head of parliament’s legislative committee, told the paper.

Gulyas said changes should be made on rules regarding demonstrations held at the same location by different organisations and also about their duration.

“It is everyone’s basic right to demonstrate against the government, but putting up tents in front of Parliament for months is an abuse of the law,” he said.

Andras Schiffer, co-chair of opposition LMP, responded by calling on the government to initiate consultations by the five parliamentary parties without delay if there are plans to amend the law on assembly. He said the government should refrain from “forcefully changing the legal framework that allows citizens to protest.”

Gulyas in response said that the parliamentary group of ruling Fidesz would fulfil Schiffer’s request prior to any amendments considered in connection with the law. He said Fidesz remains to be committed towards allowing the practice of such basic constitutional rights as the right to assembly.

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