1988. szeptember (209-245. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
í ttHUNGAIMAN ©«£ Editor: György Krassó » 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126) 236/1988 (E) 20th September, 1988 Demand to Hold New Democratic Eleetions. Letter to the Network fór Free Initiatives. The Open Letter submitted to the council session of the Network fór Free Initiatives yesterday afternoon by seve.n people, somé of them members of the Network’s council, demands that a democratically elected Parliament should settle the most significant questions concerning the future of the country. Yesterday afternoon the Network fór Free Initiatives held a public council meeting in the Bakony Restaurant in which 100-150 people took part. The first subject fór debate was an analysis of the period since the Party Conference. The histórián Miklós Szabó stressed that the authorities use a reform rhetoric bút do nőt introduce actual democratic reforms and that it conducts a "bribe policy" with somé independent groups. Thus now is the time fór society to organise independently of the authorities. During the debate a number of proposals were raised. György Gadó saw the most important tasks of the Network as the following: It must be stated that the Grósz government does nőt differ in essence from the Kádár package and the Network must separate itself from its policies; it does nőt recognise the leading role of the Party, it demands the immediate withdrawal of Soviet troops, it declares the Hungárián nation’s common fate with other East-Central European nations and it defines itself as a democratic independent civil movement. This question - to debate the objectives, organisational forms and natúré of the Network - eonstituted the subject of the rest of the debate. Can the original idea be upheld, the plán to be a co-ordinating body fór the activities of different independent movements, or should the movement become an organisation with an independent stance, programmes and membership? Who are we, what is our function, how can we realise our aims? - These are the questions according to István Eörsi who said that self-definition was the most important question to be faced by the Network. According to one of the speakers, Peter Grawátsch,it shauMfulfill the function of a social assembly, should relay civil values and organise civil movements by fór example changing the electoral law or opposing inflation. He then read out an announcement by the Young Democrats Alliance’s working group which contained an invitation to a public commemoration by theBatthyány-Imre Nagy Sanctuary Lamp at 5 pm on October 6th, the day of the Arad martyrs. The authors of the Open Letter propose that social organisations which recently estab- lished initiatives from below should participate in the plán to draft a new electoral law, one that permits referendums. Organisations such as the Hungárián Democratic Fórum, the YDA, the Scientific.Workers Democratic Union, the Network and the Szárszó Front. A working group must be e®tablished within the Network to formulate the plán, to supervise the activities of the state apparátus in connection with the eleetions, to propagandize and to nominate a candidate. Iván Baba, one of the Letter’s signatories, telephoned the Hungárián October Information Centre. He said the the Network must formulate a democratic version of the electoral law. If the Network and other independent organisations have any sense they must try to democratise the electoral law so that the next Parliament would be a true Parliament which would have a reál parliamentary role unlike the present one. n r\ Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
