Budapest, January 18 (MTI) – The national board of the opposition Socialist Party on Wednesday backed unanimously László Botka, the party’s mayor of Szeged, as its candidate for prime minister.
Socialist leader Gyula Molnár told a news conference that the board had given Botka carte-blanche to hold talks on substantive issues connected with his candidacy that are necessary for securing a victory in the next general election.
Molnár asked the party’s allies, civil organisations and advocates of change to consider Botka’s nomination.
Photo: MTIBotka said he would reveal his programme and begin negotiations in a few days.
He said that new politics “based on justice” was needed in order to unseat the current Fidesz government. At the same time, he said he did not want to return “to the world that existed prior to Fidesz’s election win” in 2010.
He insisted that a majority of Hungarians want to see a new government come to power in 2018.
“It is now the duty of the democratic forces to create the political conditions for that,” he said.
Botka said the left-wing opposition parties should present a joint list for the elections and field a joint candidate agreed upon in a preselection process in each of the country’s 106 constituencies.
Democratic Coalition
The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) said it agreed with Botka on the need of a new left-wing programme for a change in government. It said, however, that it would send him its own comprehensive programme approved and published a year ago.
DK said the talks should focus on the issues included in that programme rather than on the technical details of cooperation between the opposition parties.
Photo: MTI