BUDAPEST (AFP) — Hungarians voted overwhelming to reject three key economic reforms in a referendum Sunday, in a blow to the centre-left government of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany, provisional results showed.
With 95 percent of ballots counted, nearly 83 percent of the electorate voted 'no' to the three-pronged plan on fees for doctor and hospital visits, and for university tuition planned or already introduced.
Just 17 percent of voters approved the measures -- strongly championed by Gyurcsany -- with a record turnout for a referendum of 50.33 percent, according to the National Electoral Office.
Full final results are due next week.
Gyurcsany immediately recognized his defeat and promised to remove the fees already introduced.
"If the referendum is valid, the government will comply with its outcome and restore, from April 1, the situation as it was before," he said at a brief press conference after polling booths closed.
The referendums, which were the initiative of the centre-right opposition, concerned the imposition a year ago of a flat rate of 300 forints (1.2 euros, 1.84 dollars) paid by patients to see a doctor or a day's hospital stay, or a 400-euro annual registration charge for attending university from next year.
The president of the largest opposition party, Viktor Orban, called for "national unity" but admitted even he was surprised by the scale of the result.
"The Hungarian people were the winners in this referendum, even those who stayed at home, because they will no longer have to pay these fees," he said.
"And the losers in the referendums are the partners in the (governing) coalition," he added, repeating his demand for new elections or the resignation of the government.
Analysts had expected an opposition win, but on a much lower turnout. The majority of government supporters did not bother to vote, they said.
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