April 2 - Pal Schmitt, one of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) most respected members who was once a leading candidate to lead the Movement, today resigned as President of Hungary following public pressure over a plagiarism scandal which saw him stripped of his university doctorate.

Schmitt became the first President in Hungary's post-communist history to quit the largely symbolic post.

The 69-year-old was stripped of his sports doctorate after the university found he had copied chunks of his thesis without proper acknowledgement, a charge he denies.

Critics called for him to go, saying the scandal damaged the prestige of his office and harmed Hungary's image.

Schmitt he had initially resisted resigning, claiming on public television that there was "no link" between his doctorate and the Presidency.

But he capitulated under the sheer weight of pressure.

"Hungary's basic law, which I signed, says the head of state is the symbol of national unity," Schmitt told Parliament.

"When my personal issue divides my beloved nation rather than unites it, it is my duty to end my service and resign my mandate as President."

Schmitt, a former fencer who won Olympic gold medals in the team epee event at Mexico City in 1968 and Munich 1972, had an instrumental role in pushing the agenda of Viktor Orban's Government, signing controversial reforms, such as retroactive taxes, into law.

Schmitt was elected President by Parliament for a five-year term in 2010, after Orban's Fidesz party won elections.

He will step down as the least popular President since the collapse of communism, according to a poll last week, which coincided with a protest march against Schmitt, with several demonstrators carrying placards saying "Theft without impeachment presidential privilege".

The scandal may now extend his role at the IOC after they announced they would study the case and decide whether to take any action against Schmitt, who has been a member since 1983 and is the chairman of the organisation's Sport and Environment Commission.

The IOC says it will request the reports from the case, "study them and then consider whether any action needs to be taken."

Between 1983 and 1988, Schmitt was the general secretary of the Hungarian Olympic Committee (HOC) and under-secretary of sports between 1981 and 1990.

In 1990 after the end of Communism in Hungary Schmitt became President of the HOC and was vice-president of the IOC between 1995 and 1999.


For several years he was seen as a serious candidate to replace Juan Antonio Samaranch as President of the IOC but was defeated by Jacques Rogge (pictured above with Schmitt) in the election held during the 2001 Session in Moscow.

Schmitt later became a diplomat, serving as Hungary's Ambassador to Spain between 1993 and 1997 and Switzerland 1999 and 2002.

Budapest's Semmelweis University revoked Schmitt's doctorate last week, after its inquiry found his 1992 thesis, "An analysis of the programne of Modern Olympic Games", had not met scientific and ethical standards.

The University's decision went further than suggested by the findings of its Investigative Committee, which said while Schmitt's 215-page thesis contained "unusually large amounts of verbatim translation", it met the formal standards of the time.

Schmitt, a former Fidesz party vice-president, said he would appeal the ruling on the grounds that the University had no jurisdiction in the matter and only a court could revoke his doctorate.

"The process was unethical and unlawful," Schmitt told Parliament.

"Naturally, I will appeal this decision and I will seek justice through the courts.

"For some, this is a political question.

"To me, it's a matter of honour."

-Duncan Mackay

Source:www.insidethegames.biz