A furore has arisen over whether it is legal to collect nomination forms in public places, with different election committees taking different stands.
The fuss began when Democratic Forum candidate József Debreczeni posted a list on his website of cafés and bookshops where nomination forms for him can be submitted.
However, Budapest’s Fifth District election committee states that it is illegal to collect nominations in any workplace during working hours, including shops and places of recreation. The National Election Committee (OVB) has confirmed this decree, but others disagree: the Forum thinks halting this way of collecting nomination forms is absurd and says this method has been normal since 1990 and that nobody has so far objected.
The Budapest Election Committee (FVB) said there is no evidence that any forms have actually been collected in the public places, and adds that the regulation only relates to those who work in public places, not to guests. According to the FVB, it is not illegal to go to a café to accept nomination forms.
The Politics Can Be Different party (LMP) calls the OVB stance shocking and illegitimate, and says it will not stop collecting nominations in public places, as in this way they do not have to disturb people in their homes. The LMP has also said it will go to court if any local election committee tries to halt the public collection of nominations.
Election expert Zoltán Tóth told Népszabadság that Parliament should have long ago done something about the nomination system, adding that now the courts will have to decide.
