Stalemate in the Vylok amalgamated community

The inaugural meeting of the Vylok amalgamated community had been suspended for the fourth time on 16 December. We asked István Dobsa, the KMKSZ representative of the Berehove District Council, about the situation.

Of all the 26 seats of the amalgamated community, the KMKSZ (Transcarpathian Hungarian Cultural Association) gained 12, the Ridne Zakarpattia party gained 7, Servant of the People gained 4, and UMDSZ gained 3 representative seats in the council.

– The KMKSZ signed a cooperation agreement with the Servant of the People’s representatives to form the absolute majority in the amalgamated community. However, the allegedly politically independent mayor is unwilling to take this majority into account, and opposition parties are trying to take over absolute power, the politician said.

The cultural association is of the firm opinion that the will of the majority should be reflected in the offices, and the leaders of the amalgamated community should take into account the will of the electorate. Most of them voted for the KMKSZ. Positions most be filled to effectively represent the interests of residents. Before the plenary sessions, our members received the items on the agenda, which showed that all significant positions would be filled by the candidates of Ridne Zakarpattia and the UMDSZ without any agreement with us, the representative emphasized.

We learned from István Dobsa that the representatives of all 4 parties managed to start negotiations for the first time on Tuesday, December 15. As a compromise, the KMKSZ accepted that the secretary of the council be one of the representatives of Ridne Zakarpattia, in exchange for which the party requested the position of first deputy mayor. The mayor resolutely withdrew from this, insisting on his own candidate, who is also a representative of Ridne Zakarpattia, so the discussion ended without result.

I think it is very important to say that representatives are not interested in blocking the community, but as the majority political force, they cannot vote against themselves, thus passing power to the minority opposition. This would not be ethical towards the voters who voted for us, and the KMKSZ. Nor can we say that we do not have the willingness to compromise, as we were willing to support the council secretary from the minority opposition, which is the most important position in the council after the mayoral post. We therefore claimed the post of deputy mayor in return. This was not accepted by the mayor and the minority opposition, which we find regrettable. To me, this seems to be a petty struggle for power, with members of the minority wanting to force their will on the whole amalgamated community without compromise, trying to implement their politics entirely by force. They are trying to define the mood, to turn the public against the KMKSZ and its coalition partner, but the fault is not to be found in the majority representatives, whose words are simply not being heard. We only want to implement our democratic rights. So, who is in the driver’s seat of the community? I am very sorry that things have gone so far.

The next council was scheduled for December 17, by the mayor of the amalgamated community, who is considered hasty by the representatives of the Hungarian party, as there is no time or willingness on the part of the opposition to agree on negotiations, although the parties “must hear the will of the majority as well as the electorate to solve the problems and start the meaningful work”- the representative concluded.

Kárpátalja.ma