1988. november (277-303. szám) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2
ÍN «HQ9N6AfuiAN yJ Lteí5)£S^" @™£ Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (írom abroad 441-430 2126) 303/1988 (E) 27th November, 1988 Meeting about the Rights to Vote. Assemble and Associate Today the Independent Lavyers Fórum held its first proper meeting in the Jurta Theatre entitled nDebate on the rights to vote, assemble and associate?. The Fórum was formed on November $th by 135 people, its aim is to enable the legal profession to debate freely about the most crucial soeial-political problems and bilis and to formulate reál social demands. About 250 people came to the meeting which began at 3 pm - lawyers, legal advisors, judges, university lecturers and others nőt of the profession -, its presidium included Dr Imre Ko'nya and Dr Pál Bártfay who are both lawyers and two invited lecturers Dr István Kukorelli and Iván Baba. Dr Konya op~ ened the proceedings with an important axuiouncement: he said the Network fór Free Initiatives had started a civil movement to democratise the electoral law which will be reported on later by the lawyer Sára Éliás. Dr Kukorelli who is a con- stitutional lawyer and a university lecturer outlined the right to vote in Hungary making International comparisons and stated that the new electoral law bili which has récéntly been published is so anti-democratic that it cannot even be modified. He talked of the electoral regulations in Hungary in 184-8, 1918 and 1945 and in other European countries and came to the conclusion that candidature must be re- garded as an internál affair of the parties concemed and that independent candid ates could appear on the list of candidates if they were pút forward by a certain number of nominators. He said that the basest forms of manipulation are used at so- called nomination meetings in Hungary and proposed that the law should prohibit any form of monopolisation of power. After this Iván Baba, a well-known figure in the independent movements, spoke about the cheating and abuses that took piacé in the 1985 elections. Dr Judit Madarász, a lawyer, later added that she was appointed to an electoral committee three years ago which received direct orders to bring about the desired result. She stressed that the vote count has to be taken away from the Peoples’ Front and the Gouncils. One of the organisers of the Fórum Dr Anna Richter said that she had never voted before because it was inevitable that Parliament would nőt represent the electorate. Katalin Kutrucz, a university assistant lecturer, criticis- ed the yet unpublished modified version of the bili dealing with the right of association and assembly. Dr Gábor Muskovszky, a lawyer, emphasised the importance of uniting all the independent movements and organisations in the struggle fór a democratic electoral law. Dr Zsolt Zetényi spoke on behalf of the Bajcsy-Zsiliszky Friendsnip Society, Flóra Fencsik fór the Scientific Workers Democratic Union, Iván Pető' fór the Free Democrats Allianee and Sándor Szilágyi fór the Refugee Committee. The Fórum’s resolution condemned the jarutal and unlawful interference by police at the march on November 15th. Dr Sára Éliás read out a declaration on behalf of the Network fór Free Initiatives about their civil initiatives fór a democratic electoral law, this was adopted by the máj őrity of those at the Fórum. Several others were due to speak bút did nőt have time as at 7 pm a debate on the housing question took piacé in the Jurta Theatre. Subscribcrs can use or quote the Hungárián October newsletters in totál or in detail as long as the source is acknowledged.
