Hungarian right warns of "uprising", PM stands firm
Source: Reuters
(Adds Socialists) By David Chance BUDAPEST, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Hungarians may rise up against the government and even overthrow parliamentary democracy unless Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany steps down, a senior figure in the main opposition Fidesz party warned on Tuesday. Hungary has been plunged into a crisis by the leak of a tape two weeks ago in which the prime minister admitted lying about the economy to win April's election. He has defied calls to quit, firmly backed by his Socialist Party. Lajos Kosa, a Fidesz vice president, told state television parliament had become the rubber stamp for an elected dictatorship and that after a further bout of tax rises planned for next year, Hungarians could rebel. "The budget will come and further austerity measures worth 1,000 billion forints ($4.6 billion) will come too and then in the spring all of us will be chased out (from parliament), all of us, because a general uprising may break out in the country," Kosa said. Gyurcsany's Socialists and their Free Democrat allies have called a parliamentary vote of confidence for Friday, which they look set to win easily thanks to a 34-seat majority. The 186 Socialist MPs held a formal vote Tuesday and agreed to support the prime minister, the leader of the parliamentary party said. Fidesz said its MPs and those of their Christian Democrat allies would not attend the extraordinary parliamentary session as the outcome was fixed. "We will not be there ... we won't take part in this comedy," Fidesz parliament faction leader Tibor Navracsics told a news conference. PROTESTS Fidesz wants a vote of no confidence, which would entail the government naming a replacement for Gyurcsany, who has reversed campaign pledges of lower taxes since retaining power in the election. Fidesz has threatened mass protests for Friday. The demonstrations outside parliament since Sept 17 have attracted tens of thousands of people in a country of 10 million. Fidesz has in the past held rallies with hundreds of thousands. Protesters, many of them from far-right groups, have sought to evoke memories of Hungary's failed 1956 uprising against communism, whose 50th anniversary falls on Oct. 23. Fidesz has stressed its commitment to peaceful protests but Gyurcsany, whose government was soundly defeated in local elections on Sunday, said Fidesz's aim was to put back in power leader Viktor Orban, who was prime minister from 1998-2002. "What's going on is not about me, but about the leader of the opposition wanting to take the prime minister's seat again in a year," Gyurcsany told left-wing daily Nepszabadsag in an interview. "This is an ultimatum and blackmail, which is not listed among the means of democratic, parliamentary politics," he said. Investors are watching events in Hungary closely and view Gyurcsany as the person most likely to tackle Hungary's huge budget deficit, which at 10.1 percent of gross domestic product is the biggest in the European Union. (Additional reporting by Krisztina Than and Sandor Peto)
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