Hungary's top court okays referendum drive

The Constitutional Court on Monday approved three questions submitted by Fidesz for a referendum drive. Once Fidesz collects the necessary 200,000 signatures, as is widely expected, voters can have their say on post-secondary tuition fees and the fees for visits to doctors and hospitals. Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán announced the referendum initiative at a rally last October 23.

The Court is expected to ratify three other Fidesz questions later.

Monday's rulings uphold resolutions passed by the National Election Commission (OVB). The OVB rejected most of the original seven questions twice, and, although it let each of them pass the third time, individuals appealed to the Constitutional Court. Monday’s rulings are final.

It is practically certain that the Court will approve Fidesz's other three questions, Népszabadság observes, meaning the party may begin collecting signatures on all six questions from the middle of November. Referendum campaign leader István Tarlós said a sufficient number of signatures can be collected in a matter of days. The sooner the mandatory 200,000 signatures are collected, the sooner the President can set a date for a referendum.

Fidesz party leaders decided on Monday to begin collecting signatures on the three questions as soon as the Court decision is published in the official gazette and the OVB approves the signature sheets, Magyar Nemzet reports.

Fidesz chairman Viktor Orbán and Christian Democrat leader Zsolt Semjén are expected to comment on the Court decision today, according to Népszabadság.

Unidentified Socialist politicians said what Fidesz calls a referendum is just an anti-reform waste of money.

The Court also upheld the OVB's rejection of a question on whether voting should be compulsory for all citizens. The Court agreed with the OVB that this question is not appropriate for a referendum as it is aimed at amending the Constitution. Voting is a right, not an obligation, under the Constitution.

The above story is just one of more than two dozen published today by Hungary Around the Clock, the most comprehensive source of daily English-language news about Hungary. For a free trial of HATC, click here. Hungarian news sources include Népszabadság; Magyar Hírlap; Világgazdaság; Napi Gazdaság; Magyar Nemzet; Népszava; Kossuth Rádió news and Hungarian television's nightly news broadcast.

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