Hungary’s ruling party nominates former Supreme Court head as president
BUDAPEST — Hungary’s ruling Tisza party nominated András Baka, a former head of the Supreme Court, as the country’s next president, the party’s parliamentary group said on Facebook on Saturday, reports BritPanorama.
Baka, 73, is expected to be elected to the largely ceremonial position by parliament on Tuesday, a symbolic step in Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s attempt to dismantle former premier Viktor Orbán’s bastions of power. Magyar contends he received a strong mandate from voters in April’s elections, which his party won by a landslide.
Tisza lawmakers stated Baka had always “attached paramount importance to the principle of the separation of powers, consistently standing up for the rule of law and judicial independence.”
They further asserted, “We are convinced that Dr. András Baka’s experience and the professional independence he has demonstrated throughout his career represent a significant asset at a time when we are preparing to jointly lay the foundations for Hungary’s new constitutional order.”
Magyar’s election victory ended Orbán’s 16-year rule as he vowed to restore democratic standards, urging key officials appointed or elected by Orbán’s party to resign.
Removing former President Tamás Sulyok was a key goal for Magyar, who labelled him a “puppet” of Orbán. Sulyok had signed the constitutional amendment passed by Magyar’s ruling party that ended his own presidency last month.
The amendment stipulates that the new president will serve until a new constitution takes effect, or for a maximum of five years.
Baka, a former judge on the European Court of Human Rights, had been removed from his position as the head of the Supreme Court by Orbán’s government in 2011, three years before the end of his mandate.
The European Court of Human Rights ruled in 2014 that Hungary had sacked Baka for criticism of the government, asserting that his removal had damaged democratic freedoms in Hungary, a claim rejected by Orbán’s government.
Under Hungary’s current constitution, the president holds a largely ceremonial role with limited powers to veto legislation or have it reviewed.
The opposition Fidesz party stated it would not participate in the election process and accused Tisza of authoritarian policies, allegations which Tisza has denied.
