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Viktor Orban. Alamy Stock Photo

Orban party blames opposition for Hungary primaries debacle after alleged cyber attack

Voting in the primary elections to find a candidate to challenge Orban was suspended on Saturday.

THE PARTY OF Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s claimed “incompetence” was to blame as the opposition’s first-ever primaries were suspended due to what organisers said was a cyber attack.

Voting in the primary elections to find a candidate to challenge the conservative long-time premier was suspended on Saturday after a system crash, just two hours after polling started.

Opposition leaders blamed Orban and the government for an attack, saying they got “scared that masses of people wanted to express their opinion” and vowing the “historical process” would resume on Monday.

Orban’s Fidesz party called on the opposition not to “blame your incompetence on others”.

Main pro-government daily Magyar Nemzet slammed the system collapse and the election’s “utter amateurism” marred by “huge organisational problems”.

“So far the primary elections can be summed up by mistakes, stoppage, disorganisation and amateurism,” the paper said.

Most pro-government media have largely ignored the primaries taking place.

Organisers say they need time to investigate what exactly caused the system failure, but they identified Saturday a “mass load of currently unknown origin”.

After years of bickering and a string of landslide losses, the diverse opposition has united to seek to push Orban from power in elections in April next year.

The alliance, set up last year, accuses the 58-year-old — who regularly clashes with Brussels over migration and rule-of-law issues — of endemic corruption and creeping authoritarianism.

Polls so far indicate an unpredictable parliamentary election for the first time since Orban came to power in 2010.

Over 250 candidates are standing in the primaries nationwide to allow opposition voters to select single candidates to take on Orban as well as other Fidesz rivals in each of the country’s 106 electoral districts.

The first round is scheduled to run until September 26 with voting taking place in person and online. If required, a run-off for the prime ministerial candidacy will be held between October 4-10.

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    Mute JustMeHere
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    Sep 19th 2021, 11:43 AM

    He is absolutely corrupt.

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    Mute Alan Campbell
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    Sep 19th 2021, 11:55 AM

    @JustMeHere: it is in another country. Nothing to do with us

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    Mute Cowboy Ted
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:09 PM

    @Alan Campbell:
    EU country, it has… How he treats our fellow EU citizens is important to us…
    There was a time when needed the EU/ECC justice

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    Mute Ciaran Burke
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:12 PM

    @Alan Campbell: it’s an Eu country with power to derail our legislative agenda, this is very much something to do with us and the other Eu nations.

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    Mute JustMeHere
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:20 PM

    @Alan Campbell: It has everything to do with us. For you to think otherwise is quite sad.

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    Mute Will
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:30 PM

    @JustMeHere: thank God it’s just you here as your basing this on what exactly?

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    Mute Alan Campbell
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:36 PM

    @Cowboy Ted: the main benefit of EU membership is the Single Market and Orban is not disrupting that

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    Mute Alan Campbell
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:39 PM

    @Cowboy Ted: we got equal pay and gay decriminalisation etc but we would have got those anyway eventually, just a bit longer

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Sep 19th 2021, 3:13 PM

    @Alan Campbell: it has everything to do with us. He is another Boris Johnson, attempting to split and undermine European unity.

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    Mute JG
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    Sep 19th 2021, 4:00 PM

    @Alan Campbell: what circus do you normally perform at?

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    Mute Alan Campbell
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    Sep 19th 2021, 4:33 PM

    @JG: people insult when they lose the argument

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    Mute LiamMac2018
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    Sep 19th 2021, 6:32 PM

    @Alan Campbell: Alan, are you Irish or British? If it’s the latter, then you’re using “us” incorrectly.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 19th 2021, 6:38 PM

    @Alan Campbell: global news has nothing to do us? Good man!

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    Mute Dave O'Keeffe
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    Sep 19th 2021, 7:35 PM

    @Alan Campbell: there was no argument. You came to an article that you claim you have no interest in to comment on the fact that other people showing an interest. That’s not an argument.

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    Mute Stephen Byrne
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:50 PM

    We should sell them our voting machines

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    Mute Patrick O'Riordan
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:32 PM

    BE STRONG HUNGARY YOU HAVE A GREAT LEADER IN VIKTOR ORBAN AND YOU ARE A POWERFUL NATION, WE THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND SALUTE YOU.

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    Mute Metassus
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:44 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: YOU’RE REALLY LOUD

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    Mute Seán Ó Briain
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:48 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: Is that right there Petyr Rordov?

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    Mute Stephen Byrne
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    Sep 19th 2021, 1:23 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: he’s a xenophobic loolaa

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    Mute Alex Marquis
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    Sep 19th 2021, 1:53 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: ANY ISSUES WITH YOUR CAPS LOCK KEY?

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    Mute Bala mc blaha
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    Sep 19th 2021, 2:18 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: don’t take fhe bait people.

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    Mute Karl
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    Sep 19th 2021, 2:19 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: up yours ya dope

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Sep 19th 2021, 3:14 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: we don’t, apart from a small number of fascists.

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Sep 19th 2021, 3:15 PM

    @Alex Marquis: and your comma, it’s not working.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Sep 19th 2021, 6:39 PM

    @Patrick O’Riordan: lol

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    Mute Great White Hope
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    Sep 19th 2021, 12:30 PM

    Here we go..integrity of the election ala Trump

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    Mute Robbie Farquharson
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    Sep 19th 2021, 7:38 PM

    @Great White Hope: Relax there. No need to bring Trump into everything!

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    Mute Aidan Conway
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    Sep 19th 2021, 2:02 PM

    Believe that!

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