Gov't says local elections should happen in late September, early October

The government considers that a suitable period for organising this year's local elections is late September, early October, Prime Minister Ludovic Orban said on Friday, adding that both September 27 and October 4 are good for the elections.

"Following the ruling of the Constitutional Court, it is clear that a law is needed to extend the terms of office. The issue is related to the date of the elections. As for us, as a government, we have publicly announced for two months that we consider a suitable date for the elections to be late September, early October, because it is after the holiday period, it is before a possible return of the epidemic, which is estimated after October 1, after October 15, and it is a period in which canvassing is possible so that the people can elect their mayors, local councilors, county council chairs and county councilors fully knowledgeable of the matter, knowing the candidates' manifestos," Orban told a news briefing.

Asked if September 27 is a date he prefers for the local election, the prime minister said: "September 27 or October 4, these are the two dates."

"From our point of view, either of these two dates is good. Now we wait and see, because we did not clearly understand from the ruling of the Court who sets the date of the elections: is it the Government by government decision, or Parliament by law? Because to be honest I did not understand. It seems that it was by decision, so both the government and Parliament may; we will see the motivation; until we see the motivation we cannot know exactly what is in the rulings of the court", he added.