Hungary's ruling party proposes appointing former Supreme Court head as president

The parliamentary faction of Hungary's ruling party Tisza has proposed appointing former Supreme Court Chairman Andras Baka (2009-2011) as the country's president.

"We are convinced that the experience and professionalism of Andras Baka, which he has demonstrated throughout his life, are especially important during the period in which we plan together to lay the foundations of a new constitutional order in Hungary. The faction agreed that Andras Baka's personality is the strongest guarantee that the institution of the presidency will regain its real dignity, the ability to unite the people and provide a counterbalance to the prevailing majority," the faction's statement said.
It notes that the vote on the candidacy was secret. The faction also emphasized that Baka is not a member of the party and positions himself as an independent figure in Hungarian politics. The party called Baka's nomination its most important decision since coming to power in the spring.

Earlier, the Tisza party and Prime Minister Peter Magyar forced President Tamas Sujok, appointed under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, to vacate the post. On July 18, he signed the 17th amendment to the Basic Law adopted by parliament on the 17th, providing for his removal from office. Sujok called this document unconstitutional and anti-democratic, but yielded to Magyar's pressure, as he had exhausted his options to fight the new government. Hungary is a parliamentary republic, with main power concentrated in the hands of the prime minister and the government. The President of Hungary is elected by parliament by a majority vote; candidates for this post can be officially nominated by party factions.

Source: TASS