Hungary: Elections Committee Endorses Referendum on Tobacco Shops

Source from:  All Hungary Media Group (AHMG) (hu)  06/25/2013

The National Elections Committee on Monday gave the green light to a referendum initiative in which voters would be asked whether the supply of national tobacco shops should be restricted to tobacco products.

The new tobacco shops, opening next month nationwide, will also sell ice cream and refreshments.

Initiators of the referendum will also need to collect 200,000 signatures in favour for the vote to be held.

In May, the committee rejected referendum initiatives which sought to annul the concessions tender whose winners will run the new shops.

Under legislation approved last September, the sale of tobacco products will be restricted to the newly established National Tobacco Shop network, from July 1.

The opposition parties have accused Fidesz of influencing the national tobacco bid and granting concessions to people and companies linked to the party. Enditem