Date:25/09/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/09/25/stories/2006092508361400.htm

International

Pressure mounts on Hungary Premier

Daniel McLaughlin

Far-right seeking to oust the Prime Minister "hijacking" the protests, say police

Budapest: Hungarian police have warned that far-right radicals and football hooligans were stirring up violence during demonstrations against socialist Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. They issued the warnings as riot police with tear gas and water cannon called up reinforcements to their positions in central Budapest and thousands of people waving national flags descended on the Parliament buildings.

The clamour for Mr. Gyurcsany's resignation has been gaining voice, fuelled by his right-wing opponents, after he admitted last Sunday to lying about the dire state of the economy to win re-election last April.

Peaceful rallies

Thousands of people have protested peacefully each night, demanding that he step down and a few hundred rioters have clashed with police.

As darkness fell on Saturday night, Budapest mayor Gabor Demszky said masses of people were still pouring into the capital from the countryside. "The situation is likely to be made worse by the [Ferencvaros] soccer match... it can be expected that the fans will head towards Parliament Square after," he said. Council workers were travelling through the city removing rubbish bins, debris from building sites and anything else that rioters could use against police.

The conservative Fidesz Opposition party withdrew its support for a rally after warnings of serious violence, but far-right nationalist groups encouraged people from across Hungary to come to Budapest. The Movement for a Better Hungary (Jobbik) also encouraged its supporterswhom are younger than the rival MIEP's followers but share its far-right values, to join the rally. Fidesz leader Viktor Orban, who led Hungary from 1998 to 2002, distanced himself from the protests after opinion polls showed violent clashes that injured more than 200 persons last week had damaged his party's ratings and boosted support for Mr. Gyurcsany. —