Rerun of Budapest Mayoral Election Called for by Karácsony
- 14 Jun 2024 10:56 AM
Despite winning, by a very narrow margin, Budapest's opposition Mayor Gergely Karácsony has called for a repeat of the recent mayoral election. During a press conference held yesterday afternoon, Karácsony also announced plans for a public demonstration on Friday evening.
Karácsony was re-elected last Sunday, defeating his main rival, Dávid Vitézy, by 324 votes. Vitézy, previously a state secretary for transport in the Orbán government and nominated by LMP, received 47.49% (371,142 votes) against Karácsony’s 47.53% (371,466 votes).
However, Vitézy questioned the validity of some votes and requested a recount, which the National Election Commission approved on June 12. The recount is scheduled for June 14.
Karácsony argued that a simple recount would not address the election's uncertainties, citing findings from the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations that highlighted irregularities. He also criticized the withdrawal of Fidesz’s candidate, Alexandra Szentkirályi, 48 hours before the election and her subsequent endorsement of Vitézy, calling it a tactic to mislead voters.
Additionally, Karácsony accused the National Election Commission, dominated by Fidesz, of not providing the opposition adequate time to scrutinize Vitézy's evidence. He further alleged that the commission instructed local election offices to handle invalid votes in a way that compromised ballot security, as the boxes were opened and transported without opposition oversight.
MTI Photo
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