Amerikai Magyar Szó, 1988. július-december (42. évfolyam, 27-48. szám)
1988-11-24 / 44. szám
Thursday, Nov. 24. 1988. AMERIKAI MAGYAR SZÓ 11. flihmtflh HüncftBifths Hungary to Offer Multi-Party System, in Principle BUT VEST. The Government announced on Inov. 10, that it would introduce a draft bill in Parliament next month that would establish the principle that Hungary might legalize political parties in addition to the Communist Party. The announcement by Justice Minister Kálmán Kulcsár, speaking to Hungarian journalists, was strongly hedged. It left unchallenged the declarations this month by Karoly Grósz, the party leader and Prime Minister, and other top party officials that there was no immediate prospect of opposition parties' becoming active. Mr. Kulcsár said the draft law would, if adopted, place Parliament on record as "recognizing the possibility of a multiparty system in Hungary." But he added: "At the same time, the draft says the role of political parties in this society is controlled by the Constitution. When organizations are formed, their registration is to be controlled by separate laws." t Diplomats viewed the announcement as consistent with much in what is called the Hungarian reform program. One said that under Mr. Grósz, Hungary had used many of the "right" words without clarifying how "political democratization" or the "full introduction of market forces into the economy" are to be given concrete form. A senior diplomat said the draft law would probably be approved next month, since there is no record of Parliament's ever having voted down a Government proposal. He said it would then be up to any new groups to ask to be recognized as a political party, and up to the Communist leadership how to react to such a request. Recent statements by party leaders make it likely that they would decide against such liberalisation for some years to come. Mr. Grosz in a television interview on Nov. 2, said that elections would be held in 1990 and that it was "not very likely that other organizations or parties will put up candidates." He said that a new electoral law was under discussion and that a new constitution would t be submitted to Parliament in 1990. Mr. Grosz reacted unenthusiastically to a question whether a multi-party system was conceivable in the foreseeable future. He said: "In principle, I do no reject this, but this is not the main way to go forward in such a difficult, contradictory situation. In my view, the switch to a multi-party structure should be supported and encouraged amid more consolidated condition." ECONOMIC CRISIS CITED Hungarians interpreted this to mean that their leader had put off the creation of other parties until this nation, in the grip of a long economic crisis that they have been told will get worse before it can improve, is well on its way to recovery. Many Hungarians consider this prospect far down the road. Another party leader, Janos Berecz, announced on Nov. 2, after a two-day meeting of the Central Committee, that the leadership had decided that the one- party system was here to stay for an indefinite time. Israel today Recent developments in Israel remind us of the speech Rabbi Marshall Meyer made at a rally early this year protesting Israel's policy on the West Bank. "We believe that Judaism's social message applies to all men and women everywhere - that it is not just a pious platitude of peace and brotherhood but is actually the combined wisdom of all peoples throughout time. "We believe there must be negotiations based on mutual recognition between Palestinians and Israel for peace and security." We raise this because we feel it is time to indicate the role of the United States in the activities on the West Bank. Since 1967 when Israel occupied the area, the U.S.A. has given about $45 billion in military and economic aid. For 1988 the figure is $3 billion or about $8 million a day. This money has been used to maintain a military occupation that has been harsh and repressive. Over 300 men, women and children have been killed. Thousand are being held in prisoncamps without trial. This has been going on since last December and there is no end in sight. The point is that we have been financing this rule and it should stop. On Election Day the city of Cambridge voted on a proposition that called for an end to this kind of financing. We think it is a proposition whose time has come. To the Editor WASHINGTON,D.C. I am enjoying our paper every week, including the English page with its informative articles. Francois Somlyo Törley Champagne forthellS The Hungarovin Enterprise of Viticultural Companies will soon despatch, from its Törley Plant, the first consignment of champagne to the USA. Under a three- year agreement with the Vintners firm of New York. 500,000 bottles of Pierre Corbeau brand specially processed dry champagne will be exported annually to the US through the services of Monimpex Foreign Trading Co. The Törley brand is not unknown in the American continent. Last year, 80,000 bottles of champagne were exported to Canada, while this year a total of over 100,000 bottles are to be shipped there. The specialists of the Vintners firm recently opted for the Pierre Corbeau brand from among Törley products. These are being packed in the Hungária plant of the Budafok Champagne Factory according to the buyer's specifications, to suit the taste of the American consumers. So, for instance, while keeping the Hungarian trade mark, the bottles will be provided with re-styled labels. Give this page to a friend! Border crossing soars In the first half of this year the turnover at the Hungarian border crossing points has continued to grow. By the end of June, 20,600,000 incoming and outgoing travellers crossed the Hungarian border. At road checkpoints, nearly 6.5 million passenger cars have passed and truck traffic was also livelier than last year. By the end of June, 18.2 percent more passengers had passed through Hungary's 67 border-crossing points, compared with last year's identical period. Since the beginning of the year, 3,784,000 Hungarian citizens took outward trips; 41 percent of the outgoing persons being in possession of the new "world passport" valid to all countries with most of them leaving in the direction of Austria. At the western checkpoints, the traffic grew by 310 percent. Vits anL Vicces "I sleep with the window open even in the winter." "Fine. But why on your job?" * "Frank is following in Einstein's footsteps." "You don't say! Is he so smart?" "No. But.he.just flunked math." . .
