Opposition parties hoping for high turnout at mayoral preselection

A recent plenary debate between opposition candidates for the post of Budapest mayor has “mobilised residents” and “will hopefully contribute to high turnout” in the second round of the preselection, Gergely Karácsony, candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd party alliance, told a press conference on Saturday.

Such public debates, he said, could greatly contribute to “restoring the weathered spirit of democracy to Hungary”. In a democracy “candidates trust one another’s good intentions, they trust that the others seek to develop the city rather than destroy it and they strive to settle issues in open debates”, he said.

Karácsony insisted that losing contenders in the pre-election must support the winner, no matter who it is.

He added that he would do so, and would expect the others to support him afterwards should he win.

Friday’s debate was attended by Karácsony, Gábor Kerpel-Fronius (Momentum) and Olga Kálmán (independent, supported by the Democratic Coalition).

Opposition LMP’s Budapest organisation on Saturday agreed to support the winner of the opposition’s pre-election in the upcoming mayoral election, under an agreement with the opposition Momentum, Socialist and Párbeszéd parties.

In return for LMP’s gesture, the three other parties will support one LMP candidate in each of the city’s districts, the executive added.

Further cooperation talks will be coordinated by a three-strong committee from LMP’s side, Kanász-Nagy said.

Source: MTI