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Hungary Votes Sunday on Citizenship for Ethnic Hungarians Living Abroad


Hungarian voters go to the polls Sunday in a referendum on whether to extend citizenship to more than two million ethnic Hungarians living abroad.

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's Socialist-led coalition government opposes the measure, warning that an influx of ethnic Hungarians from neighboring countries could overtax Hungary's social welfare system and national budget.

The center-right opposition says approval would restore justice to ethnic Hungarians, who ended up as citizens of neighboring counties under post World War I treaties in which Hungary lost two thirds of its territory.

The issue has brought wide expressions of concern from the governments of neighboring countries such as Romania, home to more than a million ethnic Hungarians.

A second referendum question involves proposals to ban privatization of state-owned health services.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and AP.

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