Socialist MP quits party, refuses to withdraw in favour of DK candidate

Budapest, 2017. november 2. Horváth Imre MSZP-s képviselõ a sportvállalkozásokat érintõ egyes adózási tárgyú törvények módosításáról szóló törvényjavaslat általános vitájában az Országgyûlés plenáris ülésén 2017. november 2-án. MTI Fotó: Kovács Attila

A Socialist MP has decided to quit his party but will remain on the Socialist benches in parliament. Imre Horváth said in a statement on Monday that he would contest the 2018 general election as a representative of the Újpest constituency, if that is what voters from the district wanted.

According to press reports, Horváth objected to a decision by his party to hand over his constituency to the leftist Democratic Coalition as part of an election agreement in advance of the vote next spring.

Horváth did not state his reason for quitting the Socialist Party in his statement. He insisted, however, that he considered himself a leftist and his values had not changed.

He also pledged to continue serving the voters of Újpest. “I am the candidate of the people of Újpest and this I’ll remain,” he said in the statement.