Expelled: Fidesz throw out group leader for rioting

MAIN opposition party Fidesz, along with its youth wing Fidelitas, have expelled Oszkár Goró, Fidesz group leader in Pest's District XV, for participating in the riots last Monday by throwing stones at police officers and at the public broadcaster MTV's headquarter building.

According to Fidesz spokesperson Péter Szíjjártó, Goró had told him that he did not throw a stone, but an empty beer can at the police when he saw that a policeman had hit a staff member of Fidesz-owned news television channel Hír TV.

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány has accused the opposition of cooperating with the radical right. "Nowhere in Europe would the parties of the center left and center right think about joining the agenda of their own radicals. Here the center right and the radical right appear on the same stage," The Times quoted him as saying.

Free Democrat chairman Gábor Kuncze - whose SzDSz party is a junior member of the government - accused Fidesz leader Viktor Orbán of lying. "The first lie is his claim that the local elections are a referendum to facilitate the removal of the cabinet. The local elections are about municipalities, not a referendum and are unsuitable for toppling a cabinet."

Kuncze added, "Orbán saying there is no need for budget rebalancing measures is also a lie." Speaking to CNN last week, however, Orbán said, "I have never lied to the people." Last Sunday in an interview with TV2, the Fidesz leader said that every international economic expert believed the government's austerity measures would further harm the country's economy. However, according to Charles Gati, a Hungarian-born US political scientist, it is crucial for the country to complete the planned economic reforms, as "the country's finances will soon verge on the catastrophic if the government's austerity package is withdrawn."

Last Friday Fidesz said it was considering the possibility of bringing criminal proceedings against Gyurcsány. Fidesz deputy chairman Mihály Varga said the PM had concealed information of public interest, had misused funds, and had committed fraud "against the order of election." Newspaper Magyar Hírlap quoted criminal lawyer Tamás Fekete as saying such accusations were legally unfounded.