1988. szeptember (209-245. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
| «HUN©ARW.N (^) OCTOBER.» l Q^a ©im£ Editor: György Krassó » 24/D Little Russell Street » London, WC1A 2HN ‘ Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126) 211/1988 (E) 2nd September, 1988 Bili Dealing with the Ri,qht to Assemble and Unité On Saturday the Hungárián dailies published the plán of two new bilis dealing with the right to assemble and unité. The right to assemble is guaranteed in the constit- ution bút no decree has dealt with it until now. The guiding principles in the exer- cise of the right to unité were the criminal code and law of association decrees. Independent movements have criticised this regulaiion fór a long time, they béléivé it is an infringement of humán rights that the formation of a unión depends on permission from a supervisory body. The political leadership however is nőt satisfied with the regulation either because it maintains that the opposition exploits "legal loopholes" when it forms organisations by nőt calling them unions. These two contradictory claims led to the drafting of a new bili. It seems that "democratisation" is merely a slogan; restrictions appear in these resolute decrees which support the autocracy of the authorities. The bili conceming the right to assemble says that permission must be obtained fór the organisation and holding of assemblies, meetings and demonstrations; two versions appear in the proposal one says that permission must be obtained from the police the other from the council. There is hardly any difference as the council comes under the auspices of the Ministry of the Interior. Both versions state that permission will nőt be granted if the programme endangers state security, public security, public order or public morals. The police can withdraw permission that has already been granted if these things are at risk. The bill’s critics believe that the authorities can bán any sort of programme by interpreting the above-mentioned paragraphs in a way which suits them. According to the plán conceming the exercise of the right to unité anyone can form a social organisation as long as they are registered, bút it must be registered before it is actually formed so the principle of preadmission remains. The bili does nőt refer to the formation of the Party and it upholds the Party system. Immediately they were published the two bilis were sharply criticised by participants in the Szárszó '88 conference. Their declaration stated that "A guarantee of the right to unité and assemble is an important step towards establishing a constitutional state, social openness and true pluralism in a party political sense. These plans do nőt satisfy these requirements in any way. They do nőt comply with the intemational agree- ments Hungary has signed." 0 J Subscribers can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detni! as long as the source is acknowlcdgcd.
