2004 december 11-én
TO: Gabriella.Hegedus@keh.hu
Eva.Boronkay@keh.hu
Dr. Mádl Ferencnek
A Magyar Köztársaság Elnökének
Tisztelt Elnök Úr!
Mi alulirottak tisztelettel kérjük, hogy tegyen lépéseket a december 5.-i népszavazás többségi akaratának az érvényesitésére.
Az alábbi Önhöz szóló levelet azért irtuk angol nyelven, mert annak másolatán keresztül a világsajtót is fel kivánjuk világositani a magyar nemzet szétszakitott állapotáról és a kettős állampolgárság kérdéséröl.
Dr. Ferenc Mádl
The President of Hungary
Dear Mr. President,
We understand that while 51% of the voters approved the dual citizenship for the Hungarian minorities, the issue remains undecided, because the total of neither the 'yes' nor the 'no' votes have reached 25% of the eligible voters. When, for any reason including the weather, the participation in a referendum does not reach the minimum required by law, a new round is normally ordered. Therefore, we respectfully ask that you order a second round, unless the Parliament passes legistlation that reflects the will of the referendum's majority.
Our reasons include the following:
* The Government of Hungary intentionally restricted voter participation by such methods as requiring dual citizens living in the United States to travel to Washington to vote. This, in one case meant taking a 12 hour train trip and spending 10% of one’s monthly Social Security income to participate. As a consequence, out of the several tens of thousands of dual citizens, only seventy(70!) were able to participate in the referendum.
* Another important reason for the low turnout was the misleading propaganda and scare tactics used by the government. This included the false claim that Hungarian minorities can be compared to the Russians who have been recently settled by the Soviets in the Baltic states. This claim is false, because the minority Hungarians are the original inhabitants of their Thousand year old towns and villages. They have not moved; they became foreigners, because the borders been redrawn around them.
* It is also a false claim that similarly to the East Germans, large numbers of minority Hungarians will migrate to Hungary. This claim is false, because the ones who wanted to leave have already done so during the last 15 years. Therefore, the outcome of this referendum will have no influence on emigration.
* It is also a false claim that either the EU or the United States objects to dual citizenship. In fact, Slovakia, which is an EU member, and Croatia, Romania and Serbia, which are future EU members are already granting citizenship to their own national minorities outside their borders.
* It is also false to view this referendum as a sign of nationalism. It is unthinkable that any nation could possibly be called nationalistic, which, after having lost 72% of its territory (for no reason at all) accepts this dismemberment without violence and only wants to grant the inhabitants of the disenfranchised 72% a symbolic citizenship.
Dear Mr. President, you know that Hungarians are a non-violent people, but in a democratic world, that should not deny them equal treatment. You know that the Albanians have already regained their rights in Kosovo and Macedonia, while the Hungarians in Vojvodina did not. They too deserve dual citizenship.
Dear Mr. President, the present post-Communist government of Hungary opposed a "yes" vote and applied all means at its disposal to limit participation in the referendum, because ethnic Hungarians are against the former Communists, who are protecting their own power and their plundered prey.
For the above reasons, we respectfully ask you to order a second round to validate the outcome of this referendum.
Respectfully yours,
Ágoston András, President, Hungarian Democratic Party in Vojovdina
Mihaly Bartalos, Hungarian Freedomfighters Federation of America
Prof. Louis J. Elteto, Portland State University, Portland, OR
Abony Fodor, USA Council of the World Federation of Hungarians
Dr. Andras Fodor, Professor, Ohio State University, Head of the "Friends of Duna" group,
Laszlo Fulop, Hungarian American Coalition and MBK
Gyula Geonczeol, president of World Federation of Hungarians in Slovakia
Prof. Miklós and Mrs. Györgyi Gyulassy
Dr. Alexander Havadtőy, president, Erdélyi Bizottság
Horvath Istvan, Vice-President, Canadian Hungarian Cultural Centre, Toronto
Dr.Jara Čva, Magyar Katolikus Egyházközösség világi elnöke, Köln
Anikó T. Kálnoki, Sharon & Kalnoki LLC
Attila Karasszon, President of Federal Council of Hungarian Associations in Australia and New Zealand
Arpad Kovacs, AHIT (American Hungarian Information Technology div. AHEA), USA
Kulcsar Ervin, President, 56-os Szabadsagharcos Szovetseg, Toronto
Ildikó Kunckel, President, Latin-Amerikai Magyar Országos Szervezetek Szövetsége
Imre Lendvai-Lintner, President, Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris
Dr. Alfonz Lengyel, RPA, National Federation of Hungarian Americans
Béla Lipták, Hungarian Lobby
Kalman and Judith Magyar, American Hungarian Folklore Centrum
Louis F, Molnar President , Hungaria Freedomfighter Movement
Eva Molnar, Professor, Winthrop University
Dr. Károly Nagy, Professor, Middlesex C. College
Dr. Judith Kesserű Némethy
Dr. George Osapay, Los Angeles Hungarian Civic Circle (LAMK)
Dr. Pellionisz Andras, AMOSZ es a Kulfoldi Magyar Tudosok Szovetsege
Prof. Ir. Péter S. Schermann, University of Groningen, The Netherlands
Dr. Szutrély Péter, Semmelweis Gesellschaft Düsseldorf, Praesident
Beata Szechy, Hungarian Multicultural Center, Inc.
Tanító Béla, Finnish Leage for Human Rights & Finnish Helsinki Committee
Géza C. Ziegler, P.E.
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