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OPPOSITION INITIATES SPECIAL SESSION OF PARLIAMENT, COMMITTEE PROBE

 

Hungary’s opposition parties have initiated an extraordinary session on parliament and a parliamentary committee probe into the suspected breach of the immunity of several MPs at the headquarters of the Media Service Support and Asset Management Fund (MTVA). After a meeting of the House Committee on Monday, Jobbik, Socialist, Democratic Coalition (DK), LMP and Párbeszéd lawmakers said recent events had been “unprecedented” since Hungary’s 1990 change in political system, adding that armed security guards at the MTVA headquarters had manhandled MPs. The opposition politicians vowed to use every means at their disposal both inside parliament and outside it to “restore the rule of law, democracy and a functioning parliament”. The politicians also pledged non-violent protest.
Bertalan Tóth, the Socialist Party’s leader, said the House Committee had discussed Speaker of Parliament László Kövér’s proposal to punish seven lawmakers who protested in the chamber on Monday, as well as the decision to lump together all opposition amendments to over 2,900 legislative items. The fines imposed on the MPs are final and average a third of their monthly salary, he said, adding that “it should be Kövér who is fined” for addressing an MP in an inappropriate way. He noted that opposition members of the House Committee had attempted to discuss the issue of armed security guards at MTVA manhandling parliamentarians, but the initiative was quashed.
Tóth said that MPs had tried to exercise their right to access information regarding the operations of public television. Also, they had wanted to convey a message to TV viewers, and this was also their right, he added.
Ágnes Vadai, deputy group leader of DK, said violations of the immunity of at least 20 MPs had taken place, and security guards had manhandled her fellow DK lawmaker, László Varju.
Tímea Szabó, Párbeszéd’s co-leader, said that if Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government failed to distance themselves by the end of the day from the abuse of opposition MPs, then it would become clear that they have no intention of maintaining even a semblance of the rule of law. Answering a question, she said extra-parliamentary protests could include blocking streets, striking, occupying public institutions and all other non-violent civil disobedience.
Gergely Farkas, Jobbik’s deputy group leader, said Jobbik backed setting up a parliamentary commission of inquiry and convening an extraordinary plenary. The conservative opposition party also considers it right for MPs to take advantage of all the means of protest at their disposal both within parliament and outside it.
László Lóránt Keresztes, LMP’s co-leader, said: “This is a black day for democracy.” The opposition parties have a duty to stand by each other, he added. Referring to the amendment of the labour code, he said MPs rightfully had taken an opportunity in last week’s parliamentary plenary to protest against a “shameful bill”. He said he and Márta Demeter, LMP’s other co-leader, would go to the National Police Headquarters and call on the authorities to ensure law and order is upheld in Hungary. “I also want to know what stopped the police from doing so and what prevented police from accessing the MTVA headquarters [at their request].”