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Hungary Purges Stalinism From Its Constitution

Hungary Purges Stalinism From Its Constitution
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October 19, 1989, Section A, Page 8Buy Reprints
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Parliament purged Hungary's Constitution of its Stalinist elements today to create a Western-style basic law for a return to multi-party democracy.

Deputies voted by 333 to 5, with 8 abstentions, to accept nearly 100 modifications to the 1949 Constitution drawn up after the Communist takeover.

Symbolizing the changes was the renaming of the country, which had been called the People's Republic of Hungary. In today's vote the word People's was dropped.

Until now, Hungary defined itself as a socialist republic in which all power belonged to the working people and the Communist Party was the leading force. 'Bourgeois Democracy' Backed

Under the modified Constitution, Hungary will become an independent, democratic and constitutional republic asserting ''the values of both bourgeois democracy and democratic socialism.''

Justice Minister Kalman Kulcsar said the changes, affecting 90 percent of the old Constitution, could be seen as creating a ''transitional constitution'' to change Hungary's political system.

Hungary's first multi-party elections since 1947 are due to take place by the middle of next year. A completely new constitution will be drafted by parliament after the multi-party elections.

The modified Constitution sets the constitutional basis for the multi-party system, codifies human and civil rights and separates the judiciary, executive and legislature. An Interim President

It abolishes the old presidential council, headed by Bruno Straub, the nominal head of state, and creates a new executive president of the republic. This role will be filled by the Speaker of Parliament, Matyas Szuros, until elections take place.

The overhaul of the 1949 Constitution followed agreements earlier in the year between opposition groups, social organizations and the Communist Party, which transformed itself Oct. 7 into a socialist party.

The vote today was delayed by an emergency government session to resolve a parliamentary dispute over whether elections to the new presidency should be held up pending a referendum, as demanded by 200,000 citizens.

Under a law passed this year, Parliament must call a referendum if 100,000 citizens ask for it. Petitions Seek Delay

The presidential election is scheduled for Nov. 26, but the groups which collected the signatures - the Alliance of Free Democrats and the independent youth group Fidesz - say the presidency should be filled only after parliamentary elections.

They believe the ruling Socialist Party would use the presidency to hold on to the power it might well lose in the parliamentary elections.

Last summer, opposition candidates trounced even liberal Communist candidates in four successive parliamentary by-elections.

Parliament approved Prime Minister Miklos Nemeth's proposal that work on legislation should go ahead while the authenticity of the signatures calling for a referendum are checked.

The ruling party would like to see Imre Pozsgay, a popular party liberal, elected president as soon as possible.

At its current session, expected to last at least until Saturday, Parliament is also due to create a law governing political parties, an election law and a law setting up a constitutional court.

A version of this article appears in print on  , Section A, Page 8 of the National edition with the headline: Hungary Purges Stalinism From Its Constitution. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

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