The opposition FIDESZ party on 27 March won a defamation lawsuit against Socialist Party Chairman and Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs over allegations that Kovacs made during last year's election campaign, Budapest dailies reported. The Metropolitan Court upheld a lower-court ruling that Kovacs damaged FIDESZ's reputation on 18 and 19 April 2002 in claiming that a large state-run company produced false Socialist Party leaflets abroad that were intended for distribution by FIDESZ during the period of campaign silence. Kovacs, who was ordered to publish the verdict in three national newspapers, said he will review the ruling to determine whether it satisfactorily explains how the election leaflets reached Hungary from abroad, "Nepszabadsag" reported. He said he will then be in a position to decide whether to submit an application for judicial review at the Supreme Court. MSZ

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