New electoral movement Together 2014 members sign cooperation agreement

Budapest, October 26 (MTI) - The founders of a new electoral movement dubbed Together 2014 signed a cooperation agreement in Budapest on Friday.

The agreement was signed by former prime minister and head of the Patriotism and Progress Association Gordon Bajnai, head of the Hungarian Solidarity Movement Peter Konya and head of the Milla Association Peter Juhasz.

Bajnai said they planned open and broad cooperation, and further political organisations were welcome to join. The conditions of joining Together 2014 include bringing in new supporters, agreeing to the organisation s principles and moral code, including Milla s 12 points declared in March -- which include a free press and free speech, an independent judiciary, democratic rule of law, transparency, and equal opportunities -- and successfully coordinating their programme with Together 2014 s.

More detailed criteria on joining the movement will be worked out in the coming weeks, Bajnai added.

Konya said a new organisation may join only if the three founders form a consensus on accepting it. He added that the movement would have no single leader and would be made up of equals. Solidarity, which has a nationwide network, will take on recruitment tasks in the initial period, he added.

The cooperation agreement calls on unity in order to oust the government, "dismantle the regime", and switch to a new political era. Mutual interests include a national community, respect for private property, solidarity, rule of law and a commitment to Europe.

As regards a possible alliance with the Socialist party, which ruled before 2010, Peter Juhasz said he maintained his view that mistakes made under the Socialist government had contributed to the rise of Fidesz and its two-thirds majority, but should they be able to harmonise their programmes, and should the Socialists undergo a process of self-examination, he d be open to cooperation.

Konya said in response that they are reviewing the Socialists economic programme and would be open to discuss it with the party s representatives.

Juhasz said the anti-government rally on the national holiday of October 23 numbered much more than the 20,000 estimated by the government. The organisers estimated some 80,000-100,000 people had attended.

Bajnai made a comeback to Hungarian politics after two years at the October 23 rally.