(22 Apr 2002)

1. Wide of polling station
2. Close up polling station sign
3. Official closing gates to polling station
4. Various of election officials emptying ballot boxes and counting votes
5. Close up ballot paper
6. Outside headquarters of Socialist Party
7. Various of supporters outside Socialist Party headquarters
8. Supporters inside Socialist party headquarters
9. Socialist Party leader Peter Medgyessy being hugged by wife
10. Cutaway
11. SOUNDBITE: (Hungarian) Peter Medgyessy, Socialist Party leader
"Our party and the Liberals gained more votes overall than Fidesz."
12. Close up Medgyessy's wife
13. Medgyessy with ands in the air in victory
14. Wide of Medgyessy's supporters outside
15. Supporter waving party flag
16. Various of Medgyessy's supporters outside
17. Inside headquarters of Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party
18. SOUNDBITE: (Hungarian) Viktor Orban, Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party
"I was fighting for a united Hungary and for the country's welfare."
19. Wide of Fidesz supporters
20. Orban inside Fidesz headquarters
21. More of voters cheering and waving flags

STORYLINE:

After narrowly defeating Hungary's ruling centre-right coalition, the Socialist Party and the Alliance of Free Democrats prepared on Monday for formal talks on setting up the next government.

Of the 386 seats in parliament, the Socialists won 178 and the Free Democrats 20. The joint list of the incumbent Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party and the Hungarian Democratic Forum won 188 seats.

Recounts were expected in about five constituencies where the difference between the two candidates in the runoff vote was less than 1 percentage point, but it was unlikely the election's outcome would change significantly.

Fidesz, which trailed significantly after the April 7 first round, almost managed to turn around the election in the second round, mainly on the strength of feverish campaigning by Prime Minister Viktor Orban in rural areas, where his party dominated.

But Budapest, which accounted for nearly 20 percent of all votes, remained a Socialist stronghold, the party won 27 of 32 seats at stake in the capital city.

Initial speculation that Fidesz would try to form a minority government was seemingly put to rest by Orban, who conceded defeat to Peter Medgyessy, the Socialists' candidate for the post of prime minister.

Once the final election results are official, President Ferenc Madl is expected to nominate Medgyessy as prime minister, who will then form the next government.

After a tough and hard-fought electoral campaign, which occasionally turned nasty, Medgyessy said his priority would be to calm the political waters. Despite the close result, Medgyessy said the all-time high voter turnout of more than 71 percent guaranteed the new government's legitimacy.

Fidesz supporters, although stung by the defeat, seemed confident of a comeback.

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