BUDAPEST, July 13. /TASS/. Hungary’s parliament has approved a 17th constitutional amendment envisaging President Tamas Sulyok’s removal from office.
According to parliament speaker Agnes Forsthoffer, the amendment was supported by 139 lawmakers, with only six voting against and none abstaining.
The opposition factions of the Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Alliance and Christian Democratic parties skipped the session in protest against the amendment. They claim that it is an unconstitutional and personified document that has been drafted by the new authorities solely in their political interests. Fidesz faction leader Gergely Gulyas has resigned, saying that democracy in Hungary is no more.
The bill was supported by each and every member of the ruling Tisza party led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Six lawmakers with the far-right opposition Our Homeland Movement voted against, saying that Tisza is now acting just like Fidesz did during its sixteen-year rule.
Addressing the lawmakers before voting, Magyar once again said that Sulyok should resign for failing to perform his duties as the guarantor of the supremacy of law and turning a blind eye to office abuses by the previous government led by Viktor Orban. The president rejected these claims, saying that the prime minister is behaving in an unbecoming manner and that his actions constituted a "gross violation" of law.
About the amendment
The Hungarian government submitted to parliament the draft 17th constitutional amendment on July 4. Presenting the document, Magyar said that a new constitution will be elaborated and put to a nationwide referendum. Until this is done, the current constitution should be amended, he added.
The draft document terminates the president’s office term and authorizes parliament to elect a new head of state within 30 days after the 17th amendment comes into force. According to the government, this move is geared to "restore confidence in the institution of the president and to ensure compliance with the constitutional principles governing the exercise of power."
The amendment provides for limiting the terms of parliamentary members to three four-year terms and setting the age limit for members of the Constitutional Court at 70. At the same time, in accordance with the document, measures will be taken to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, protect state financial assets, expand the powers of the Constitutional Court, and strengthen public oversight of government agencies. The government believes this will help restore the rule of law and democratic system in Hungary, which were weakened in recent years under previous authorities.
Magyar warns Sulyok of initiating impeachment proceedings in parliament if he doesn’t sign the draft 17th amendment, which has already been approved by parliament, within five days required by law.
The president said that he is not going to do this. Now, he can submit the document to the Constitutional Court to assess the document from a legal point of view. Earlier, he filed a similar request with the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.
Orban and his Fidesz party, which moved to the opposition following its defeat in the April 12 parliamentary elections, are supporting the head of state. Last week, the party held a large rally in Budapest against Magyar’s policies.