Hungary heading to polls on Sunday for general election, referendum

By Mehmet Yilmaz

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AA) - Hungarian voters will go to the polls on Sunday to elect new members of the country's National Assembly.

Some 8.2 million voters will cast their ballots in the general elections as well as for a referendum in the Central European country with a population of nearly 9.7 million.

The 199 members of the National Assembly are to be elected via two methods. While 106 will be elected in single-member constituencies by first-past-the-post voting, the remaining 93 will be elected from a single nationwide constituency mostly by proportional representation through a partially compensatory system.

According to the latest opinion polls, 41% of voters support the alliance between the Hungarian Civic Alliance (Fidesz) and the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP), while 39% back the United for Hungary coalition, consisting of the Democratic Coalition (DK), Jobbik, Momentum, Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), Hungary's Green Party (LMP), and Dialogue for Hungary party (PM).

Surveys showed that another 16% are floating voters.

Only the Fidesz-KDNP alliance and United for Hungary are expected to exceed the 5% electoral threshold needed to enter parliament.

The opposition's joint candidate for prime minister, Peter Marki-Zay, will seek to unseat incumbent premier Viktor Orban of the Fidesz-KDNP alliance. Orban has been serving as prime minister since 2010.

On Sunday, a referendum will also be held on legislation banning the "promotion" of homosexuality and gender reassignment to minors under the age of 18.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev from Ankara