Opposition DK wants ‘Ukrainian voter imports’ investigated

The opposition Democratic Coalition will ask notaries of localities in north-eastern Hungary to launch an investigation into suspected fictitious Hungarian addresses claimed by Ukrainians who may have then fraudulently participated in the 2016 Hungarian general election, the deputy group leader of the party said on Tuesday.

The party will first contact officials of 176 localities near the Ukrainian border to investigate how many Ukrainian citizens claimed to have an address in Hungary after having taken up Hungarian citizenship in the region, Ágnes Vadai told a press conference.

Under a government scheme, ethnic Hungarians living beyond the border can apply for Hungarian citizenship. But citizenship does not entitle them to an address which confers to Hungarians living in Hungary the right to vote for both a national list and for an MP candidate in an individual constituency.

Citizenship alone, however, does give Hungarians living in neighbouring countries the right to a postal vote for a national list.

The DK politician referred to the public prosecutor’s office acknowledging on Monday that Hungarian citizenship had been granted to Ukrainian nationals with no Hungarian ancestors or connections to Hungary as well as no Hungarian language skills.

The prosecutor’s office said an investigation was under way into 307 cases, Vadai said, adding that DK had information suggesting that in one instance, altogether 203 people claimed to live at a single address.

She said

DK had already given warning of election fraud by ruling Fidesz who may have “imported Ukrainians” to vote in the 2018 general election.

It is now feared that the same “Ukrainian voter business” will compromise the transparency of the upcoming European Parliamentary elections and Hungary’s local elections in the autumn, Vadai said.

Source: MTI