Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced on Saturday that he would refuse the mandate of a parliament deputy after his coalition suffered a heavy defeat in the elections, bringing an end to his 16-year rule, LETA reported citing AFP.
62-year-old Orban, who has been continuously in the Hungarian parliament since 1990, called last week for a "complete renewal" of his national-conservative party "Fidesz."
"Right now, I am needed not in parliament, but in reorganizing the national wing," Orban said in a video on Facebook after a meeting of the Fidesz party's executive committee.
He stated that he is ready to remain as the chairman of Fidesz if the party decides so at the June congress.
In the parliamentary elections in Hungary, the conservative Party of Respect and Freedom ("Tisza"), represented by Peter Madjar, achieved a convincing victory. Madjar, who won with a promise of "regime change," accused Orban of cowardice.
"This 'brave' street fighter is still incapable of one thing — taking responsibility," Madjar wrote on Facebook.
The first session of the new convocation of the Hungarian parliament is scheduled for May 9, when the newly elected deputies will take the oath.
Madjar's party "Tisza" received 141 mandates, Orban's party "Fidesz-KDNP" obtained 52 seats, and the far-right party "Our Homeland" secured six seats in the parliament, which consists of 199 deputies.
