BUDAPEST, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Laszlo Botka, the Hungarian socialist party's (MSZP) candidate for the post of prime minister quitted the race 8 months before the general elections, but MSZP President Gyula Molnar vowed to continue the fight at a press conference on Monday.
"The resignation of Laszlo Botka is a great loss, because he was a credible and real challenger versus Prime Minister Viktor Orban," Molnar said after the resignation of Botka.
Earlier Monday morning, Laszlo Botka resigned in a letter sent to Hungarian media, in which he blamed the fragmented opposition parties for not uniting against the Fidesz (Orban's ruling conservative party), but to measure themselves individually, which, according to Botka, would result in the third consecutive victory of Viktor Orban.
On Sept. 25, Botka proposed the opposition parties to form a single electoral list against the Fidesz during the elections, in order to collect all of the votes of those unsatisfied with Orban's regime.
Molnar said that Botka had undertaken the candidacy with the intention of being a real challenger to power as the leader of the democratic opposition. He added that this was not an easy task, and Botka knew exactly what would happen to him: he was going to be the subject of worthless and deceitful attacks.
According to the recent polls, the ruling Fidesz party has a very comfortable advantage over its adversaries and Orban could easily win the next elections scheduled for next spring.
Molnar also said the Orban-led government could only be replaced by a full-fledged opposition, but in recent months it has become clear that this cooperation could not be achieved due to the individual intentions of most opposition parties.
"In the lack of cooperation, Botka did not want to continue," Molnar said.
The main message of Molnar was that the MSZP did not want to choose a new prime minister candidate for the moment, but was to concentrate on establishing a new cooperation with the other opposition parties, and to present voters a "new and clear alternative".
He also said the party would hold a general assembly next weekend, where a new political agenda would be adopted.
