Slovenia's PM: Cabinet might resign after opposition candidate elected president

"Slovenia's Prime Minister Janez Jansa said Tuesday that his Cabinet might resign following the overwhelming victory of the opposition-backed candidate in a weekend presidential vote.

'We will analyze the situation further, but all possibilities are open, including the resignation of the government,' Jansa told reporters after a meeting of his center-right Cabinet.

Longtime diplomat Danilo Tuerk, who was supported by several leftist opposition parties, was elected president in Sunday's elections with 68 percent of the vote — more than twice as much as Lojze Peterle, who was backed by Jansa's governing coalition.

Jansa insisted that Tuerk's campaign 'was directed entirely at settling accounts with the government.'

'It is particularly worrying that a lot of energy was invested in blackening the government abroad,' Jansa said, claiming his opponents portrayed Slovenia 'as Belarus' or some other authoritarian country.

'That makes the government's work more difficult, even its routine duties, and especially its preparations for taking over the European Union presidency,' he said.

Slovenia, which joined the EU and NATO in 2004, will assume the EU's rotating, six-month presidency Jan. 1."

Source: International Herald Tribune

Tuerk leads in Slovenia elections

"Leftist former diplomat Danilo Tuerk is set to become Slovenia's new president, as preliminary results suggest he has a huge lead over his centre-right rival.

Former prime minister Lojze Peterle conceded after exit polls showed Mr Tuerk getting almost 70% of the vote. Mr Peterle - who helped lead Slovenia to independence from Yugoslavia - was well behind despite topping a first-round vote last month. Mr Tuerk, 55, was backed by the main left-wing opposition parties.

Mr Peterle had the support of the governing centre-right coalition. But the 59-year-old did not secure enough support to win outright in October, and has since fallen behind in the polls. Mr Peterle conceded almost immediately. 'I expected a better result,' he said."

Source: BBC NEWS

Slovenian PM vows to expand cooperation with China

"Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa has said the cooperation between his country and China has been developing well and further expanding all-round bilateral cooperation is in the interests of both sides.

Jansa, who is scheduled to visit China from Nov. 8 to 11, told Xinhua in a recent written response that his visit is 'an excellent opportunity not only to positively assess the past cooperation but also to set goals for further strengthening of bilateral ties.'

He said a delegation of 50 successful companies and institutions from Slovenia will accompany his tour to Beijing in a bid to enhance economic ties."

Source: Xinhuanet

Slovenia puts climate change, energy at top of its EU presidency

"Slovenia will put climate change, energy and economic reforms at the top of the European Union's agenda when it takes over the union's presidency in January, the country's prime minister said Tuesday.

In addition, after meeting with European Commission President Manuel Barroso, Prime Minister Janez Jansa said he would push EU governments to quickly ratify the reform treaty European leaders will sign next month. The treaty includes changes in decision-making rules designed to make the union function more effectively.

'We will follow closely the ratification process of the reform treaty and encourage our colleagues to speed up as much as possible the ratification process,' Jansa said at a press conference with Barroso. The new treaty, if approved by all 27 member nations, would take effect in 2009."

Source: International Herald Tribune

Opposition candidate ahead in Slovenia presidential race

"The centre-left opposition candidate in Slovenia's presidential election, Danilo Turk, is expected to gain a clear victory in next weekend's second-round vote, opinion polls showed, AFP reports.

Turk won 24.47 percent support in the first-round vote on October 21, behind the ruling centre-right coalition's candidate, former prime minister Lojze Peterle, with 28.73 percent.

But nationwide polls carried out this weekend by private POP TV and state television showed Turk, a relative newcomer in Slovenian politics, could win between 68 percent and 68.9 percent in the run-off on November 11. "

Source: FOCUS

Tus launches Slovenia’s third mobile network

"Slovenia’s Tus Mobil, owned by domestic retail magnate Mirko Tus, has announced that it will launch commercial services over its own GSM network on 31 October, Slovene Press Agency reports. The cellco will offer new subscription plans covering bundled voice minutes, text messages and data use, in competition with state-owned market leader Mobitel and Telekom Austria subsidiary Si.Mobil.

Tus Mobil currently offers nationwide services via roaming on market leader Mobitel’s network, but is building out its own infrastructure in phases. The network currently covers 39.2% of the population, while comprehensive coverage is expected in 2009, according to Tus Mobil director Marko Fujs. Three-year investment needed to complete the rollout project is estimated at EUR200 million (USD289 million), with at least EUR20 million already spent. Tus Mobil is a subsidiary of Tus Telekom (including Voljatel), which offers fixed line telephony, broadband internet access and IPTV."

Source: TeleGeography Research

Slovenian ex-deputy minister extradited from Canada to serve sentence for corruption

"Slovenia's former deputy economics minister, who fled the country before being convicted of corruption, was extradited from Canada on Wednesday, police said.

Boris Sustar, who was arrested in Canada in July, is to serve six years in prison for receiving kickbacks from companies in exchange for helping them get state funds and loans from the Economics Ministry, where he was a deputy minister from 1997-2000.

Sustar, 45, is the most senior government member to be convicted of corruption in Slovenia."

Source: International Herald Tribune