Roma (Gypsy) people living in the Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County village of Nyírmihálydi have confirmed to news portal Index.hu that vote-buying is a usual part of elections in their settlement. Several residents, independently from each other, recounted that both the Socialist Party (MSZP) and Fidesz bought their votes before the 2006 general elections. The Socialists mostly paid cash in exchange for the votes, while Fidesz provided them with presents. An alleged case of vote-buying in the region became a police matter at the end of last month.
Local Roma residents said that during the previous general elections, people working for the Socialists visited influential Roma men to ask them to convince their family members to vote for the party. They were paid a few hundred thousand forints, a smaller part of which they could keep, and the rest they had to distribute among their relatives. This meant that the head of the family received roughly Ft 100,000 (€377), and their relatives Ft 2,500 to Ft 3,500 each for their votes.
Several Roma people said that the guarantee for their votes was that they had to make a vow and accept that their children would be cursed if they broke their word.
Some of these influential Roma men were allegedly members of the local Roma government. However, József Nagy, chairman of the local Roma government, denied that any party ever offered him money in exchange for getting him to deliver votes.
The portal found one influential Roma who said that he was approached by both the Socialists and Fidesz, and both parties offered money if he made his family vote for them. (“Family” in this sense means “extended family,” i.e. around 50 people.) Others said that Fidesz rather gave presents such as bananas, oranges and vests in return for votes.
Roma residents of nearby Nyírlugos said that on February 28, Fidesz distributed presents as part of their campaign for the upcoming March 9 referendum. People were handing out cleaning products and other presents to residents from a green Opel in the name of the party.
Some of the Roma said that they accepted money or presents from both parties. Still others said they were not influenced by the presents. They accepted what they were offered, then voted as they originally intended to. Others said they voted as they were required, because they had given their word or taken a vow.
Vote-buying in Nyírmihálydi and its environs is considered to be a natural part of elections. “Locals say they wish elections were held every week,” one resident of the village revealed.
According to Hungarian law, trying to influence voters by offering them money is a crime punishable by up to three years in prison.
