Socialists demand election committee certify party’s referendum initiative

Budapest, March 18 (MTI) – The opposition Socialists on Friday called on the national election committee (NVB) to convene a meeting and certify the party’s referendum initiative on Sunday shopping restrictions.

Party leader József Tóbiás told a press conference that a recording made on Feb. 23 in front of the national election office (NVI), which has just been released, clearly shows that election fraud was committed. He added that the election committee previously stated there was no link between Anikó Erdősi, who submitted the referendum initiative before the Socialists, and the “thugs” who prevented the Socialists from getting there first.

The Socialists want the committee to make clear its initial decision was wrong and approve the referendum initiative submitted by Socialist lawmaker István Nyakó, Tóbiás said. Further, he said he suspected the decision, which even the committee’s head, András Patyi, voted against, came on “central pressure”. Tobias also called on the Kuria, the supreme court, to annul NVB’s decision on Erdősi’s bid in light of new evidence.

Camera footage showing the foyer of the NVI office on February 23 has been published by tabloid Bors. On the video Erdősi and her company are seen arriving to the office after the Socialists, but “bald-headed men ushered her forward and body blocked the way.”

Tóbiás said the Socialists also demand that the national security committee hear Fidesz deputy leader Gábor Kubatov to see if he is connected with the events at the NVI. Further, if it were proven that the NVI or the NVB had assisted in these events in any way, that would indicate that they were unfit to oversee the fairness of elections in Hungary, he added.