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Hungary's ruling parties lose two thirds majority in by-election

Xinhua, February 23, 2015 Adjust font size:

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's ruling Fidesz party and its ally, the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) lost their two-thirds majority in parliament on Sunday in a by-election held to replace a party stalwart in Veszprem County in west Hungary.

The seat was vacated by Tibor Navracsics, the country's former foreign minister, who became Hungary's commissioner to the European Union for Education, Culture, Youth, and Sport late last year.

With 98.91 percent of the vote counted, Zoltan Kesz, running as an independent backed by most of the country's left-wing parties, won the election with 42.66 percent of the vote, a sizable 10 percent margin over the Fidesz candidate's 33.64 percent. The far right Jobbik party's candidate came in third with 14.14 percent.

The election will not be finalized until votes from abroad arrive. Thirty-seven votes from abroad are expected, not enough to alter the outcome although percentages might change somewhat.

The Hungarian Socialist Party's leader, Jozsef Tobias, called the win an example of a new societal cooperation, crediting the joint support of the left-wing parties for Kesz's victory. However, he added that without the Socialists' support Kesz could not have won.

Dialogue for Hungary, another left wing party, issued a written statement congratulating Kesz and the people of Veszprem.

Egyutt, another of Kesz's backers, called the win a victory for Kesz and justice. Egyutt chief, Viktor Szigetvari, said his party was proud to have supported Kesz.

The Jobbik party issued a written statement, saying that this wasn't really a victory for the independent Kesz but a defeat for Fidesz.

Fidesz's popularity began to erode following last year's elections when it proposed several controversial taxes including one on the Internet that triggered a demonstration.

The Fidesz-KDNP alliance won parliamentary election on April 6, 2014 and secured a two-thirds majority. The alliance won 133 seats in the 199-seat legislature. Endit