Melanie
September 19th, 2006, 01:42 AM
Hungary PM vows to crack down after Budapest riots
Tue Sep 19, 2006 02:40 AM ET
By Gergely Szakacs
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Tuesday he would crack down after a night of rioting saw anti-government protesters clash with police and occupy state television.
The riots, triggered by the leak of a tape on Sunday in which Gyurcsany urged his Socialist Party to adopt economic reforms after lying to voters for years to win April's general election, were the worst since communism ended in 1989.
By 7:45 a.m. (0544 GMT), Budapest was calm and there was no sign of protesters outside parliament following a night of violence in which 50 demonstrators and 102 policemen were injured, state news agency MTI reported.
"We have to contain that conflict and prevent crisis," Gyurcsany told MTI after an initially peaceful demonstration of 10,000 people in front of parliament turned violent overnight.
Gyurcsany has vowed to remain in power after his words "We lied in the morning, we lied in the evening" to win the election were leaked to media, triggered calls for him to go.
The main right of center opposition Fidesz party reiterated calls that Gyurcsany should resign on Wednesday as did the smaller Hungarian Democratic Forum.
"There is a moral crisis unfolding and Ferenc Gyurcsany should make it clear that his comments referred to their period in government," Tibor Navracsics, Fidesz faction leader told MTV on Tuesday morning.
According to a snap poll of 500 people on Monday by Szonda Ipsos, 43 percent of people thought Gyurcsany should resign immediately, while 47 percent said he should stay and 10 percent had no opinion.
Gyurcsany has received strong backing to remain as prime minister and for his economic package of tax rises, aimed at cutting Hungary's huge budget deficit, from his Socialist Party and their coalition partner, the Alliance of Free Democrats.
"The biggest irresponsibility possible would be for the prime minister to resign. The prime minister is legitimate and should continue to implement his program," Gabor Kuncze, leader of the Free Democrats told MTV on Tuesday.
Hungary has been living on borrowed economic time for years, and in 2006 its budget deficit will be 10.1 percent of gross domestic product, the biggest by far in the European Union.
Gyurcsany, who campaigned on a program of tax cuts, has announced tax rises and budget cuts worth $4.6 billion alone in 2007 to bring the deficit under control and to put the country on a path to the euro and sustainable finances.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103004_ap_police_416credit.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103010_ap_stone_416credit.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103002_ap_fire_416credit.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103006_ap_protestor_416credit.jpg
Tue Sep 19, 2006 02:40 AM ET
By Gergely Szakacs
BUDAPEST (Reuters) - Hungary's Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany said on Tuesday he would crack down after a night of rioting saw anti-government protesters clash with police and occupy state television.
The riots, triggered by the leak of a tape on Sunday in which Gyurcsany urged his Socialist Party to adopt economic reforms after lying to voters for years to win April's general election, were the worst since communism ended in 1989.
By 7:45 a.m. (0544 GMT), Budapest was calm and there was no sign of protesters outside parliament following a night of violence in which 50 demonstrators and 102 policemen were injured, state news agency MTI reported.
"We have to contain that conflict and prevent crisis," Gyurcsany told MTI after an initially peaceful demonstration of 10,000 people in front of parliament turned violent overnight.
Gyurcsany has vowed to remain in power after his words "We lied in the morning, we lied in the evening" to win the election were leaked to media, triggered calls for him to go.
The main right of center opposition Fidesz party reiterated calls that Gyurcsany should resign on Wednesday as did the smaller Hungarian Democratic Forum.
"There is a moral crisis unfolding and Ferenc Gyurcsany should make it clear that his comments referred to their period in government," Tibor Navracsics, Fidesz faction leader told MTV on Tuesday morning.
According to a snap poll of 500 people on Monday by Szonda Ipsos, 43 percent of people thought Gyurcsany should resign immediately, while 47 percent said he should stay and 10 percent had no opinion.
Gyurcsany has received strong backing to remain as prime minister and for his economic package of tax rises, aimed at cutting Hungary's huge budget deficit, from his Socialist Party and their coalition partner, the Alliance of Free Democrats.
"The biggest irresponsibility possible would be for the prime minister to resign. The prime minister is legitimate and should continue to implement his program," Gabor Kuncze, leader of the Free Democrats told MTV on Tuesday.
Hungary has been living on borrowed economic time for years, and in 2006 its budget deficit will be 10.1 percent of gross domestic product, the biggest by far in the European Union.
Gyurcsany, who campaigned on a program of tax cuts, has announced tax rises and budget cuts worth $4.6 billion alone in 2007 to bring the deficit under control and to put the country on a path to the euro and sustainable finances.
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103004_ap_police_416credit.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103010_ap_stone_416credit.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103002_ap_fire_416credit.jpg
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42103000/jpg/_42103006_ap_protestor_416credit.jpg