Hungarian ruling party sweeps local elections

Hungary's governing Fidesz party won the lion's share of local elections Sunday, winning most mayoral slots including the coveted Budapest mayoral post as well as majorities on all county assemblies.

Turnout was low, at around 41 percent nationwide, with Budapest, the traditional leader in turnout, down to 43 percent, clearly influenced by the three left-wing parties that would have needed a joint candidate to combat the center-right governing Fidesz, Xinhua reported.

They had withdrawn the person jointly chosen as their candidate for mayor of the city two weeks before the election.

Some left-wing groups shifted their support to Lajos Bokros, a one-time finance minister in the socialist MSZP government, while others refused to support any candidate. The result was a victory for Istvan Tarlos, the Fidesz-supported independent candidate, who won re-election to Budapest mayor's office with 49.06 percent of the vote compared to Bokros's 36.04 percent.

Fidesz won 20 seats on the 33-seat Budapest assembly. Fidesz candidates also won 17 districts of Budapest, with the left wing gaining only 6 of the 23 districts.