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| - The Hungarian government said it submitted draft legislation to parliament Tuesday to revoke anti-coronavirus emergency powers that triggered fears of a power grab by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Parliament will be able to vote on lifting the state of emergency and related powers of rule by decree "within two weeks," a government official Balazs Orban told reporters. If the Budapest assembly, dominated by the ruling Fidesz party, adopts two bills proposed by the government Tuesday, "the state of danger and the special legal order could come to an end in mid-June," said Orban. June 20 could be the date for withdrawing the special powers, Justice Minister Judit Varga said earlier. A "coronavirus protection act" adopted by parliament on March 30 has enabled the cabinet to rule by decree until it declares an end to its "state of danger" declared earlier in the month to tackle the COVID-19 crisis. Prime Minister Orban argued that ruling by decree allowed him to respond quickly and effectively during the emergency. But critics at home and abroad have fretted that the law has no time limit and accused Orban of using the crisis to steer EU member Hungary toward authoritarianism. In April the European Parliament approved a statement saying Hungary's measures were "incompatible with European values". Budapest dismissed the criticism as "fake news" and said the legislation was proportionate and could be rescinded at any time by parliament or reviewed by the consitutional court. Hungary, with a population of almost 10 million, has reported 3,771 infections of the novel coronavirus and 499 deaths as of Tuesday morning. Growth in both numbers has slowing in May while lockdown restrictions have been relaxed. Previously when looking forward to the end of emergency powers, Orban said that critics "will get a chance to apologise to Hungary for unfounded accusations about the law". Hungary has been attacked by a "slander campaign," said Varga Tuesday. Hungarian opposition parties and rights groups at home and abroad have called the extra powers "dictatorial" and said Orban is abusing them to cement his rule rather than combat the virus. Some of the more than 100 decrees issued since April have stripped opposition-run municipalities of power and finances. The emergency powers also included potential jail terms for "scaremongering" over the pandemic, sparking concern for press freedom. Police have opened over 100 cases of suspected scaremongering and temporarily detained several people including an opposition party member who criticised the government on Facebook. The scaremongering provision will also end once the state of danger is over, said the government official Orban. pmu/jsk/pvh
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