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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 2, No. 157, 17 August 1998

SUSPECTED KILLER OF HUNGARIAN MEDIA TYCOON GIVES HIMSELF UP.
Njazi Aqifi, an Albanian from Kosova suspected of having
shot media tycoon Janos Fenyo in February, gave himself up
on 14 August at Roeszke, a Yugoslav-Hungarian crossing
point, MTI reported. While still on the Yugoslav side of the
border he told journalists that he is innocent and hopes to
be able to prove his innocence in Hungary. A lawyer
representing Aqifi said the authorities have agreed to
release him if investigators fail to prove his guilt within
30 days. MS

HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION CRITICIZES TAX CHAIRMAN APPOINTMENT.
Socialist Party parliamentary group leader Laszlo Kovacs and
the leader of the Alliance of Free Democrats parliamentary
group, Balint Magyar, have criticized the recent appointment
of Lajos Simicska as president of the Tax and Finance
Office, Hungarian media reported on 14 August. Simicska is
the former treasurer of the ruling Federation of Young
Democrats-Hungarian Civic Party. Kovacs said the appointment
of a party official "to head an organization demanding
impartiality violates the unwritten rules of politics and
good taste." Magyar called the step "political cynicism" and
said it is aimed at "covering up shady deals" and at using
the tax office for "political intimidation." Bela Horvath,
leader of the parliamentary group of the Independent
Smallholders' Party, a member of the ruling coalition,
called the accusations a "political hoax" and expressed
support for the appointment. MS

ETHNIC HUNGARIAN LEADER ON UNIVERSITY IN ROMANIA. Attila
Verestoy, leader of the Senate parliamentary group of the
Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania, said on 14
August that he wished to "remind" President Emil
Constantinescu of his 10 December 1997 declaration.
Constantinescu had said he supports the setting up of a
Hungarian-language state university in Romania. Verestoy was
responding to Constantinescu's recent statement in Cluj in
support of a "multi-cultural" university in the town,
Mediafax reported. Verestoy also said he does not rule out
the possibility of setting up a separate university for
national minorities scattered throughout several
Transylvanian towns and whose center would be in "Cluj or
Targu Mures." He also said teaching at such university could
take place "in Hungarian and German." MS

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RADIO FREE EUROPE/RADIO LIBERTY, PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE Vol. 2, No. 158, 18 August 1998

HUNGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER BACKS DEMAND FOR UNIVERSITY IN
ROMANIA. Janos Martonyi on 17 August said in Budapest it is
the "fundamental obligation" of the Hungarian government to
support the setting up of a state university for ethnic
Hungarians in Romania. Speaking at a meeting of the
Hungarian branch of the Association of European Journalists,
Martonyi noted that in his opinion, the division of the Cluj
University into a Romanian and a Hungarian university is not
"the only solution that is acceptable." Also on 17 August,
Education Minister Zoltan Pokorny said in Debrecen that the
government considers the establishment of the Hungarian
university to be a "test of the Hungarian-Romanian basic
treaty," Hungarian media reported. MS

BUDAPEST MAYORAL RACE HEATS UP. Janos Latorcai, the
governing coalition candidate for Budapest mayor in the 18
October elections, said on 17 August that he is "surprised"
by the announcement of the extremist Hungarian Justice and
Life Party that it will back him in the race. He denied that
any preliminary talks with that party have taken place and
added that he has "no influence" over who will support him.
But he added that in order to oust incumbent Mayor Gabor
Demszky, he needs all the support he can get. Gabor Horn of
the Free Democratic Party, of which Demszky is a member,
said the party takes his re-election for granted and sees no
reason to enter into talks with the Socialists. Meanwhile,
Socialist Party candidate Bela Katona promised to pay
utility bills for December for pensioners who live alone,
give free medicine to those over 70, and grant cheap housing
to police force members, Hungarian media reported. MS

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               Copyright (c) 1998 RFE/RL, Inc.
                     All rights reserved.
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