The Hungarian government submitted to parliament on 29 July a constitutional amendment proposal

The Hungarian government submitted to parliament on 29 July a constitutional amendment proposal under which the cabinet would be empowered to authorize the deployment of military forces for peacekeeping and humanitarian missions under the aegis of NATO, the UN, and the EU, the daily "Magyar Hirlap" reported. A similar proposal was submitted by the previous FIDESZ-led government but voted down by the Socialists and the Free Democrats, who are now proposing the same constitutional change. In related news, parliamentary speaker Katalin Szili said on 29 July that next year would be an opportune time to draft a new constitution, "Nepszabadsag" and "Nepszava" reported. Szili said 2004 will mark 15 years since the declaration of the Hungarian Republic and 55 years under the current constitution. Speaking on Hungarian Television, Szili said the current constitution spans several political systems and has been patched up so many times that the Constitutional Court has to be called on every time there is a major legal battle.