The Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) looked in pole position to become the first party in Hungary to serve two consecutive terms since the fall of communism, after coming out ahead on Sunday in the first round of the general election
"Whichever way I look at these numbers, I see that the MSZP won the first round," MSZP leader Ferenc Gyurcsany told a crowd of supporters at the party's election headquarters. "We won, and this means Hungary will also win."
With 99.5 percent of the votes counted, the MSZP emerged with 109 seats -- including four won jointly with the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) -- compared to the main opposition party Fidesz's 97 seats.
PHOTO: AP
The MSZP polled 43.26 percent of the votes for party lists in the first parliamentary elections since Hungary joined the EU, compared to 42.11 percent for the conservative opposition Fidesz party.
Fidesz leader Viktor Orban remained upbeat and urged his supporters to redouble their efforts for the second round.
In 2002 elections, Fidesz lost but was able to narrow the gap from the first-round election to the second round.
"We have a real chance of winning," Orban proclaimed. "A match lasts 90 minutes, and we are only at halftime. We have to fight, and I urge everyone to work harder."
Analysts said that the gap was not decisive and agreed that Fidesz had a chance to make up the deficit.
Who governs could be decided by the smaller parties, the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) and the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF).
Both parties appeared to have exceeded the 5 percent threshold required to enter Parliament.
ELECTION DISTRACTION? When attention shifted away from the fight against the militants to politics, losses and setbacks in the battlefield increased, an analyst said Recent clashes in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Jubaland region are alarming experts, exposing cracks in the country’s federal system and creating an opening for militant group al-Shabaab to gain ground. Following years of conflict, Somalia is a loose federation of five semi-autonomous member states — Puntland, Jubaland, Galmudug, Hirshabelle and South West — that maintain often fractious relations with the central government in the capital, Mogadishu. However, ahead of elections next year, Somalia has sought to assert control over its member states, which security analysts said has created gaps for al-Shabaab infiltration. Last week, two Somalian soldiers were killed in clashes between pro-government forces and
Ten cheetah cubs held in captivity since birth and destined for international wildlife trade markets have been rescued in Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. They were all in stable condition despite all of them having been undernourished and limping due to being tied in captivity for months, said Laurie Marker, founder of the Cheetah Conservation Fund, which is caring for the cubs. One eight-month-old cub was unable to walk after been tied up for six months, while a five-month-old was “very malnourished [a bag of bones], with sores all over her body and full of botfly maggots which are under the
BRUSHED OFF: An ambassador to Australia previously said that Beijing does not see a reason to apologize for its naval exercises and military maneuvers in international areas China set off alarm bells in New Zealand when it dispatched powerful warships on unprecedented missions in the South Pacific without explanation, military documents showed. Beijing has spent years expanding its reach in the southern Pacific Ocean, courting island nations with new hospitals, freshly paved roads and generous offers of climate aid. However, these diplomatic efforts have increasingly been accompanied by more overt displays of military power. Three Chinese warships sailed the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand in February, the first time such a task group had been sighted in those waters. “We have never seen vessels with this capability
‘NO INTEGRITY’: The chief judge expressed concern over how the sentence would be perceived given that military detention is believed to be easier than civilian prison A military court yesterday sentenced a New Zealand soldier to two years’ detention for attempting to spy for a foreign power. The soldier, whose name has been suppressed, admitted to attempted espionage, accessing a computer system for a dishonest purpose and knowingly possessing an objectionable publication. He was ordered into military detention at Burnham Military Camp near Christchurch and would be dismissed from the New Zealand Defence Force at the end of his sentence. His admission and its acceptance by the court marked the first spying conviction in New Zealand’s history. The soldier would be paid at half his previous rate until his dismissal
RSS