1989. február (számozatlan) / HU_BFL_XIV_47_2

Ufe(3)ísSl” ©Mi

Editor: György Krassó * 24/D Little Russell Street * London, WC1A 2HN * Tel. 01-430 2126 (from abroad 441-430 2126)

12th February, 1989

Hungárián Masa Meoia Coveraee of the Socialist Workera Party’s Central Committee Emergency Meeting

The report about the evaluation of 1956 by the historical sub-committee, which was appointed by Imre Pozsgay, provoked a very strong reaction from Károly Grósz, who was retuming from a conference in Davos. In an interview given on the

pláne the General Secretary said that this nőt only concemed the assessment of the revolution bút alsó a power struggle and that it would have repercussions.

The official, rather brief, report issued before the Hungárián Socialist Workers Party Central Committee went intő session said that it would discuss "internál policy and persona! issues".

All that Kossuth Rádió’s Noon Chronicle said about the Central Committee’s emergency meeting, which began on February lOth, was that "The body debated current internál policy issues which were submitted by Károly Grósz in the meeting which began today". Evén the Hungárián média must feel that such a statement does more harm to Hungárián glasnost than totál silence. The 2 pm news did nőt even mention the meeting, and only at 4 pm did it at last surface that "The Central Commitee has been in session in Budapest since 9 am today". Then silence reigned once more until 6.55 pm when Kossuth Rádió’s programme Evening Magaziné was interrupted with the announcement that the first day of the meeting was over and that Emil Kimmel, deputy leader of the Central Committee office, would speak about it with the Hungárián News Agency’s director at 7.02 pm. Kimmel acknowledged that "Hungárián society was living through a very tense period", and that "the Central Committee had started the conference fully aware of its historical responsibility".

He said that "Consolodating the party’s political and structural unity was an important issue, as was the restoration of its membership’s confidence". On Hungárián Television’s channel two programme Central Committee member Gyula Horn, who is alsó the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’s Under Secretary of State, said that the historical sub-committee, of which he is a member, "evaluates 1956 in the following way, it began as an uprising, bút turnéd intő a counter-revolution".

Horn did nőt use the expression "popular uprising", and made it clear that the Pozsgay camp was in retreat on the first day of the meeting.

On the following day, Saturday February 11th, Kimmel spoke again, this time in the Noon Chronicle, saying that "up until now the debate has shown that the part- icipants respect the different platforms, bút at the same time search fór unity in the fundamental issues". Petőfi Rádió’s 9 pm broadcast unexpectedly announced that the meeting was over.,and that an announcement would be issued about the conference. Those who rely only on the Hungárián mass média fór information still did nőt know that the Committee had decided to introduce a multi-party system. Those who were actually there did nőt inform the public until 10 pm, when it was broadcast that "The Peoples Patriotic Front will probably assume an important role in the multi-party system", .that the"Péter Veres Society has formed as a party", and that "the Left-Wing Altemative Union has been formed".

On Sunday at 6.32 pm an interview,with Grósz was broadcast, it was only after this that people knew that the Central Committee had held a "two-day extended meeting". No mention was made of those whom the meeting was extended to. In the evening we were informed that "The Central Committee wams society that it is nőt prepar- ed fór the immediate transition to a multi-party system".

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