SLOVENIA: Slovenians vote for new president

Leftist Danilo Turk expected to win Slovenian vote for new president. Slovenians vote in a presidential runoff on Sunday (November 11) with leftist Danilo Turk likely to lead the ex-communist state when it takes over European Union presidency nex year. Turk, a law professor and former diplomat supported by the main left-wing parties, leads the opinion polls and is expected to beat conservative Lojze Peterle, endorsed by most of the right-of-centre ruling coalition. Polling stations for 1.7 million eligible voters opened at 7 a.m. (0600 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m. (1800 GMT). First exit polls are expected immediately after the polls close and preliminary results are due around 2100 GMT. A victory for Turk would extend the small but wealthy Slovenia's tradition of having left-wing heads of state since it quit communist Yugoslavia in 1991. Analysts said Turk's' victory would confirm a growing discontent with Prime Minister Janez Jansa's conservative cabinet and boost the opposition social democrats ahead of a parliamentary election due in autumn 2008. Jansa's popularity plunged this year because of the steadily rising inflation since Slovenia adopted the euro in January. After casting his vote in the capital Ljubljana Turk said at the start of the campaign he had great expectations but nobody else expected him to win. His opponent, Lojze Peterle, however, believes he will still triumph. The winner will be sworn in days before Slovenia takes over the rotating six-month EU presidency on January 1. The president's role is largely ceremonial but will include an active part in international contacts during the EU presidency, when analysts say Turk's diplomatic background could be an asset. Turk was Slovenia's first ambassador to the United Nations. He chaired the U.N. Security Council in 1998-1999 and then became U.N. assistant secretary general for political affairs.

ITN Source | November 11, 2007

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