Parliament rejects session to discuss Budapest riots

Parliament's House Committee yesterday dismissed appeals for a special session to discuss the previous day's riots in Budapest.

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány spoke about the events in a speech before the day's main business, though Fidesz and Christian Democrat MPs left the chamber in line with their boycotting policy.

Gyurcsány said: "those who sought to hurt me have taken their revenge on the nation. Demonstration is rightful but we will not tolerate riots and I expect the police to fight against them with all their might," he added. "They do not understand what they are playing with," continued Gyurcsány, turning to the empty Fidesz seats. "This situation was brought about by a politician who does not respect God, nor human and constitutional democracy," he declared.

Parliamentary regulations require debates to be declared 14-28 days in advance. Fidesz and the Christian Democrats dropped their plan to hold a debate on the riots because of these requirements and will instead raise questions at official meetings of the law enforcement, human rights and national security House committees.

"This extraordinary situation arose because a police attack was ordered on the opposition's demonstration," said Fidesz caucus leader Tibor Navracsics.

Free Democrat chairman Gábor Kuncze retorted: "We have reached new heights of political idiocy, hearing that the police provoked peaceful demonstrators, who were equipped with metal balls and molotov cocktails under Árpád flags." The red and white striped Árpád flags were also used by the Hungary's Nazi Arrow Cross movement.

"The original offence was Gyurcsány offending the nation, but Orbán's reckless behaviour is also leading the country to anarchy," said Democratic Forum leader Ibolya Dávid. "Both should resign," she concluded.

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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