Jobbik re-elects party leader Vona

Budapest, May 19 (MTI) - The radical nationalist Jobbik party re-elected Chairman Gabor Vona in its Budapest congress on Saturday.

Vona, the only candidate for the post, was elected with 717 votes for, five against and four invalid votes.

Vona expressed his thanks for the general support which he interpreted as clear feedback for the party leadership to continue its work to develop a "radical, taboo-breaking and outspoken force that is able to govern the country".

"For Jobbik, radicalism and ability to govern are not incompatible concepts," he said.

In his earlier address to the congress, Vona said Jobbik s new leaders should aim for nothing less than to govern Hungary after the 2014 elections.

He said that "the current trends promise a hot autumn and hot years to come", a situation in which Jobbik should be present in the streets, and it will indeed be there.

Vona qualified fending off attacks and increasing public support as the party s greatest achievements since it became a parliamentary force two years ago.

Vona attributed a number of laws and resolutions to the party s presence in Parliament, including the law on granting Hungarian citizenship to ethnic kin in a fast-track procedure, opening towards the east, and helping troubled mortgage holders.

Vona said that the ruling Fidesz party tried to "take the wind out of Jobbik s sails" in Parliament but had only pretended to implement the Jobbik programmes.

"Fidesz is talking in terms of the right wing and living as [former Socialist prime minister Ferenc] Gyurcsany lives. It says what Jobbik says and what the public wants to hear, but acts just as the Socialists act and as the powers in the background demand," he said.

Vona said that the party s parliamentary group had proven that Jobbik would be able to govern Hungary.