RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 94, 13 August1997

ETHNIC HUNGARIANS IN SLOVAKIA APPEAL TO HORN. The coalition
of ethnic Hungarian parties in the Slovak parliament have called on
Hungarian Prime Minister Gyula Horn to help improve the situation
of ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia, Hungarian media reported on 12
August. In a letter handed over to the Hungarian ambassador in
Bratislava, the parties said the situation of ethnic Hungarians in
Slovakia has deteriorated significantly since the basic treaty was
ratified in 1995, although they noted that several new border
crossings have been opened and economic relations with Hungary
slightly expanded. New laws, decrees, and government resolutions
constitute violations of minority rights, the letter added. Slovak
cabinet spokeswoman Magda Pospisilova told reporters that Slovakia
has abided by the basic treaty in all areas and is not interested in
heightening tensions between the two countries. Horn is due to meet
with Slovak Premier Vladimir Meciar in Gyoer on 15 August.

REFERENDUM ON FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF LAND IN HUNGARY? Four
opposition parties and three agricultural interest organizations
announced on 12 August that they will collect signatures for a
referendum to decide whether foreigners be allowed to purchase
land in Hungary. The Hungarian Democratic Forum, the Young
Democrats, the Independent Smallholders, and the Christian
Democratic People's Party, as well as the National Federation of
Farmers' Societies, the Peasants' Federation, and the Agricultural
Farmers Interest Advocacy Organization agreed to start a drive on 20
August to collect the 200,000 signatures needed for such a
referendum. The campaign is launched against the government's
planned amendment of the land law that would allow foreign
companies to own farmland. The results of the referendum would be
binding on the parliament.

HUNGARIAN OPPOSITION LEADER BACKS AUTONOMY OF ETHNIC
HUNGARIANS IN ROMANIA. Young Democrat chairman Viktor Orban
told the Transylvanian Hungarian-language weekly "Erdelyi Naplo"
that his party supports autonomy for ethnic Hungarians in Romania,
Hungarian media reported on 12 August. He said that ethnic
Hungarians need a university of their own and that the Hungarian
Churches should have their confiscated properties returned. Orban
accused the Hungarian government of being too cautious on those
issues. In response, Free Democrat faction leader Istvan Szent-
Ivanyi, who is also the chairman of the parliamentary Foreign Affairs
Committee, said the Hungarian Democratic Federation of Romania,
rather than Budapest, ought to decide about the needs of the ethnic
Hungarian minority in Romania.

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               Copyright (c) 1997 RFE/RL, Inc.
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RFE/RL NEWSLINE 
Vol. 1, No. 95, 14 August1997

SLOVAK OPPOSITION, HUNGARIAN MINORITY PARTIES PREPARE FOR
POST-ELECTION COOPERATION. The Slovak Democratic Coalition (SDK),
an alliance of five opposition parties, and the Hungarian Coalition
(MK), a coalition of three Hungarian minority parties, have reiterated
their resolve to sign a written political agreement probably as early
as September, RFE/RL's Slovak Service reported on 13 August. The
agreement is expected to lay the groundwork for post-election
cooperation between the SDK and the MK and for forming a post-
election coalition government. Public opinion polls indicate that the
two blocs could win half of the mandates in the new parliament.
Until now, only the Democratic Party and some Christian Democrats
have signaled their desire to see ethnic Hungarians in the
government.

COMMUNIST STATE SECURITY FILES TO BE MADE PUBLIC IN
HUNGARY. An office containing communist state security files will be
open from 1 September to researchers and those who believe they
were under observation during the communist era, office head
Gyoergy Marko announced on 13 August. The office will be set up
temporarily at the Interior Ministry building in Budapest. Marko
estimated that in the summer of 1989, the security services had files
on some 160,000 people under observation. He said it could take up
to five years to process the approximately 15-20 million pages,
Hungarian media reported.

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               Copyright (c) 1997 RFE/RL, Inc.
                     All rights reserved.
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