UDMR to vote for censure motion; not interested in governing

National chairman of the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR) Kelemen Hunor on Thursday told AGERPRES that UDMR will vote for a censure motion if the Ludovic Orban government assume responsibility before Parliament for two-round mayoral elections, adding that his party is not interested in governing at this time.

"After the prime minister's announcement, we expect him to come to Parliament with the letter of commitment and then there has to be a censure motion from those who disagree with both the procedure and the content of the procedure. We have said from the very beginning that no one can ask us anything that is against the interests of the community. So we have not endorsed mayors being elected in two-round polls and said that we will do everything in our power by parliamentary means not to change the rules of the game in 2020 just a few months before the local elections. Therefore, in the case of responsibility being assumed, the only possibility for the law not to come into force is to overthrow the government and that can be done through a censure motion. We expect there will be a censure motion and we will vote on the censure motion when debated in Parliament and voted on. It's ok, we are not in conflict with anyone; our position was known when we signed that PNL Government support agreement," said Kelemen.

He added that he had a phone conversation with the prime minister before the government meeting.

"Ludovic Orban called me; I talked to him before the government meeting. He told me what he was to do, I told him I understood and I told him if there was a possibility to table a censure motion we would submit one and vote on it. That's life," said Kelemen.

He added that in the event of the Orban Government being dismissed, it is likely that the National Liberal Party (PNL) will form the future government, stressing that the UDMR is not interested in joining government.

"If the government falls, the constitutional procedure opens for early elections, but until the early elections there is more way to go. (...) The next government will be made by the prime minister the president will appoint. We are currently not interested in governing. I am expecting the government to be liberal again. If it passes ... I do not know if it passes. Although I do not want to go that far and I do not want to speculate. At this moment I am talking about the first step. In the case of responsibility being assumed, the first step is the censure motion. If the motion passes, of course, another procedure opens, but then we have to talk about it. The ball will be in the President's court, not in the political parties'," concluded Kelemen.

Prime Minister Ludovic Orban announced on Thursday that the government will pass legislation on two-round mayoral elections by assuming responsibility for it before Parliament.