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Hungary votes amid PM lies anger Hungary leader slams PM over lies
(about 10 hours later)
Hungarians are voting in local polls, two weeks after violent protests broke out over the prime minister's admission that he had lied about the economy. Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom has strongly criticised PM Ferenc Gyurcsany over his taped admission that he lied about the economy to win re-election.
The governing Socialists' coalition are trying to hold key provincial cities, as well as the capital, Budapest. Mr Solyom's speech coincided with the close of polls in local elections that the opposition had said should be a referendum on the PM's leadership.
The conservative opposition says the vote is a referendum on the government of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany. The ruling Socialists, responding to the president's comments, said they had "full confidence" in Mr Gyurcsany.
There have been daily demonstrations in Budapest and other cities for the past two weeks, calling for his resignation. They are trying to hold key provincial cities as well as the capital Budapest.
In a surprise intervention moments after the polls closed, the president accused Mr Gyurcsany of undermining confidence in democracy and using improper methods to keep power.
"The prime minister refuses to admit that he used inadmissible means to keep power... This undermines confidence in democracy," Mr Solyom said in a nationally broadcast speech.
"The parliament decides who is the prime minister. The parliament can restore society's confidence [in government]. The parliamentary majority holds the key to the solution," he said.
Some analysts have interpreted the president's words as being tantamount to calling on Socialist and liberal deputies to oust their own prime minister.
The past two weeks have seen daily protests calling for the prime minister to step down.
The government was shaken by a leaked tape in which Mr Gyurcsany is heard saying that the government deliberately misled the public about the state of the economy to help it gain re-election in April.The government was shaken by a leaked tape in which Mr Gyurcsany is heard saying that the government deliberately misled the public about the state of the economy to help it gain re-election in April.
'Committed reformer''Committed reformer'
The opposition party, Fidesz, says the government should resign if it does badly in Sunday's polls. Perfect autumn weather encouraged a relatively high turnout in Sunday's local polls, says the BBC's Nick Thorpe in Budapest.
By the time all the votes are counted, they are expected to top the 51% who voted in the local elections four years ago, our correspondent adds.
Protesters have been calling for Mr Gyurcsany's resignationThen, the Socialists won a decisive victory in much of the country, but this time they and their liberal allies appear to be facing a tough battle with the main conservative opposition party, Fidesz.
It says the government should resign if it does badly in the polls.
The government says that as a local vote, the result will not affect its leadership of the country.The government says that as a local vote, the result will not affect its leadership of the country.
Mr Gyurcsany said he had lied about the state of the economyDrastic reforms of health care, state administration, higher education and energy prices have been announced by the government since its re-election. As polls closed, some opposition supporters headed for Kossuth Square in Budapest, where the latest demonstration against the prime minister was being held in front of the Hungarian parliament.
In a pre-election appeal, Mr Gyurcsany said he was "an extraordinarily committed reformer". Drastic reforms of health care, state administration, higher education and energy prices have been announced by the government since its re-election.
Fidesz chairman and former premier Viktor Orban, said that the country must decide "whether we accept the lies and the austerity package... whether we accept that it is Hungarians' fate that from time to time the government, because of its own mistakes, drives the country into a crisis, takes away their money ... and then starts over again". More than eight million people were entitled to vote in the municipal elections and were choosing mayors and councillors at local and district level across Hungary.
More than eight million people are entitled to vote in the municipal elections and will be choosing mayors and councillors at local and district level across Hungary.