LMP calls on govt to allow all Hungarians abroad to vote by mail in autumn referendum

Budapest, August 3 (MTI) – The green opposition LMP party has called on the government to allow all Hungarians living abroad, including those working in western Europe, to vote by mail in the October 2 migrant quota referendum.

Party spokesman Péter Ungár told MTI on Wednesday that the government “differentiates between Hungarians and Hungarians” by not allowing citizens who have a registered address in Hungary but work abroad to vote by mail.

He said voting regulations for Hungarians in western Europe were “unacceptable” even for the general election in 2014 as “many of them had to travel hundreds of kilometres” to be able to exercise their voting rights at the nearest embassy or consular office.

Under Hungary’s election rules, Hungarians who have a permanent address in the country but are abroad on the day of an election or referendum can only vote at a Hungarian embassy or consular office near them while ethnic Hungarians living beyond the border can vote by mail.

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On the topic of the referendum itself, Ungár said the vote would not resolve the migration crisis but added that decisions on immigration should be kept as a national competency. Hungarians have a right to decide who they want to live together with in their country, he insisted. He said he would participate in the referendum and vote “no”.

In the referendum Hungarians will be asked:

“Do you want to allow the European Union to mandate the resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens to Hungary without the approval of parliament?”

Source: MTI