Hungary’s Parliament taps András Baka as president as part of Orbán-era purge

BUDAPEST, Hungary -- BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungary's Parliament elected former Supreme Court chief justice András Baka as president on Tuesday as the country's new government dismantles power structures left behind by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.Lawmakers with the governing Tisza party elected Baka in a secret ballot with 140 votes for and six votes against with no abstentions, while Orbán's far-right Fidesz party boycotted the vote.Baka is expected to be sworn in on Aug. 19. The role of president in Hungary is largely ceremonial, though the president does have the power to send bills back to lawmakers or to the Constitutional Court for review.Prime Minister Peter Magyar's government has argued that the purge of officials appointed during Orbán's time in office is necessary to restore democratic norms and institutional integrity that were eroded during his tenure.Orbán and Fidesz have accused the new government of “tyrannical” policies, which Magyar and Tisza deny.In comments in Parliament following his election, Baka criticized the performance of Orbán's four successive governments and said one of the biggest challenges facing Hungary was the deep social and political po...