Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, May 9, 1994                   TAG: 9405090089
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: BUDAPEST, HUNGARY                                LENGTH: Medium

HUNGARIANS VOTE FORMER COMMUNISTS BACK INTO POWER

Voters were looking for a way out of economic hardship. The results showed they were turning back to the former Communists, renamed Socialists, who now profess democratic ideals.

The Socialists had 32 percent, with more than 97 percent of returns in. As the leading party, they will be asked to put together a coalition government and name a prime minister.

Second were the liberal Free Democrats with 19 percent.

The center-right Hungarian Democratic Forum, the senior government coalition partner, was a poor third at 12 percent, with the agrarian Independent Smallholders next at 9 percent.

Voters cast ballots for individual candidates and party lists to fill the 386-seat legislature. Of the 176 seats alloted to individual candidates, Socialists had won two and were leading for 152 others. The Free Democrats were leading in only 16 and the Forum in two.

The Communists, who took power in 1948, were voted out four years ago, when Hungary and other East bloc countries broke with autocratic Marxism and embraced democracy.

Imre Szekeres, deputy chairman of the Socialists, reassured rivals and the electorate that his party intended to abide by democratic rules.

Prime Minister Peter Boross of the Hungarian Democratic Forum as much as conceded defeat.

"I must say we expected to do better," he said. "We must prepare to be a constructive opposition."

The strong showing for the Socialists reflected disenchantment with high unemployment and inflation as the country completes its transition to capitalism.

The Democratic Forum has received most of the blame because it was in power.

In contrast, the last Communist government is widely remembered as pragmatic and expert.

Turnout, at roughly 70 percent, was well above the 65 percent in 1990, when voters turned out the Communists.

More than 15 parties, ranging from the far right to Marxists, fielded 1,876 candidates.

All of the mainstream parties, including the Socialists, are committed to a market economy, integration into Western Europe and membership in NATO.