Officials reject referendum on Budapest's 2024 Olympic bid

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) A journalist who called for a national referendum on Budapest's bid to host the 2024 Olympics says she will appeal to Hungary's highest court after election authorities rejected her initiative.

Investigative journalist Katalin Erdelyi said Wednesday she was disappointed but not surprised by the decision of the National Election Committee, which voted 9-2 to refuse her bid to ask citizens if they wanted parliament to repeal the law about bidding for and hosting the Olympics.

An earlier attempt by Erdelyi to organize a referendum just in Budapest was also rejected. Critics say the Olympics are too expensive, with a large risk of corruption.

Budapest, Paris and Los Angeles are in the race to host the 2024 Games, while Rome's bid has been rejected by the city's mayor, Virginia Raggi.

The International Olympic Committee will choose the host city next September.