Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LJUBLJANA662
2007-10-19 10:07:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:
SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SNAPSHOT
how-toVZCZCXRO4021 PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG DE RUEHLJ #0662/01 2921007 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 191007Z OCT 07 FM AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6194 INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RUEKDIA/DIA WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC//J5
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LJUBLJANA 000662
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SNAPSHOT
Ref: Ljubljana 513
Summary
-------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 LJUBLJANA 000662
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SNAPSHOT
Ref: Ljubljana 513
Summary
--------------
1. (U) Slovenia's Presidential election will take place this
Sunday, October 21. The State Electoral Commission has confirmed the
candidacies of seven citizens. The top two finishers will go to a
second round on November 11 if neither garners over 50 percent of
the vote. Polls still predict European Parliamentarian Lojze
Peterle to make it to the second round, although he might lose in
the second round to his opponent, likely to be former UN high-level
official Danilo Tuerk, but possibly former Central Bank Governor
Mitja Gaspari. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) While the candidates have been holding debates and
campaigning across Slovenia, these elections are not attracting a
huge amount of national, much less international, attention. The
President of the Republic of Slovenia, elected for a five year term
and for a maximum of two consecutive terms, is its Head of State and
the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces of Slovenia. Everybody
expects the elections to be free and fair, although there has been
concern about ballots distributed to Slovenian voters living abroad.
First the State Electoral Commission sent ballots only to Slovene
citizens living abroad who had expressed a wish to vote (approx.
5,000). But, after a subsequent closed-door discussion by the
Electoral Commission, an additional 50,000 ballots were sent to
voters residing abroad. There is a strong belief among Slovene
voters that a great majority of votes coming from abroad would be in
favor of the right of center candidate Peterle.
3. (U) The State Electoral Commission used a lottery to determine
the order of candidates on the ballot for the October 21
Presidential elections. It is as follows: 1. Darko Kranjc; 2. Zmago
Jelincic; 3. Mitja Gaspari; 4. Danilo Tuerk; 5. Elena Pecaric; 6.
Monika Piberl; and 7. Lojze Peterle. The government will set up a
press center in Ljubljana on Election Day to cover the elections.
Snapshot of candidates
--------------
4. (SBU) Darko Kranjc
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 09 May 1975 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: President of the Youth Party of
Slovenia (SMS),non-parliamentarian, considered to be center- left.
CONSTITUENCIES: SMS loyalists and possibly fresh voters.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Not very supportive; he would keep the best
companies in State hands.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports but would give priority to domestic
companies.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Care for environment, withdrawal from
NATO, protection of human rights.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: President of SMS since 2004; before that he
was president of the Student Organization of Slovenia.
EDUCATION: MA in Social Work.
FAMILY: Not married but has a partner.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He spent his childhood in a
foster family and is vice-president of the Foster families
Association of Slovenia.
5. (SBU) Zmago Jelincic Plemeniti
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 07 January 1948 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: President of the Slovene National
Party (SNS),a barely-defined political party that is currently in
the opposition.
CONSTITUENCIES: SNS loyalists and other nationalists.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
LJUBLJANA 00000662 002 OF 004
--PRIVATIZATION - Supportive, but with Slovene owners.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports if it suits him for his personal
interests. So, he would support Hit-Harrah's investment if they
sponsor construction of aviation museum in Ajdovscina (he is the
president of the Aviation Association of Slovenia).
FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Relations with Croatia and other
neighbors.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: President of SNS since its foundation in
March 1991; previously he established a pharmaceutical company that
closed down after the collapse of former Yugoslavia.
EDUCATION: High school graduate (pharmacy).
FAMILY: Married twice, with two daughters and a son from the first
marriage.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent),Serbian (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He is a lifetime member of
National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and a member of American
Pharmaceutical Association (AphA). He is a strong personality who
personifies his party. He and his party strongly opposed Slovene
integration into EU, however, he often changes his beliefs according
to his personal benefits.
6. (SBU) Mitja Gaspari
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 25 November 1951 in Ljubljana.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: Not affiliated with, but supported by
the Liberal Democrats of Slovenia (LDS) (in the opposition).
CONSTITUENCIES: LDS loyalists and some bankers.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports gradual approach.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Strongly supports foreign investments to
increase competition.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - EU presidency, Western Balkans,
neighbors.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: Governor of the Bank of Slovenia, Minister
of Finance, employee of the World Bank in Washington where he lived
for one year (1991 - 1992).
EDUCATION: MD in Economics.
FAMILY: Married.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent),Serbian (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: Gaspari is expert in finance and
banking and one of the ones most responsible for Slovenia's
successful entrance into Euro zone. Gaspari is currently placing
third in the polls. He is widely respected, but not viewed as being
in touch with the common Slovenian.
7. (SBU) Danilo Tuerk
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 19 February 1952 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: Not affiliated with, but supported by
the center-left opposition parties of: Social Democrats (SD),Zares
- New Politics, as well as the Democratic Party of Pensioners of
Slovenia (DeSUS),which is in the coalition.
CONSTITUENCIES: SD, Zares, DeSUS loyalists, and intellectuals.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports gradual approach.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports foreign investments.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - EU presidency, protection of human
rights, Western Balkans, neighbors, environment.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: Assistant to the Secretary General of the UN
for Political Affairs, Slovene Ambassador to UN in New York,
Professor of International Law at Ljubljana University.
LJUBLJANA 00000662 003 OF 004
EDUCATION: PhD in International Law.
FAMILY: Married, with daughter.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent),Serbian (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He is a Slovene diplomat with
great experience. Notably, he led the Slovene Mission to the UN in
New York during Slovenia's presidency of the Security Council in
1999. He has been gaining recently in the polls, but he and Gaspari
will likely split the center-left vote.
8. (SBU) Elena Pecaric
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 6 October 1971 in Ljubljana.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: Not affiliated
CONSTITUENCIES: Partial support from organizations of disabled.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports gradual approach.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports foreign investments.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Protection of human rights, protection
of environment.
OFFICES HELD: Currently she is the President of the Association for
Theory and Culture of Handicap, where she is responsible for project
"Independent Life of Disabled."
EDUCATION: BA in Philosophy and in Sociology of Culture.
FAMILY: Not married but has a partner.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: She is the first among the
disabled to run for president in independent Slovenia. Some
organizations for the disabled support her candidacy as a showcase,
to demonstrate that the disabled can enter politics actively.
Because of internal disputes in the Slovene Association of Disabled,
some are very negative about her exposure to the public.
9. (SBU) Monika Piberl
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 4 January 1950 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: President of the Voice of Women of
Slovenia, a non-parliamentary party.
CONSTITUENCIES: Members of her party and local supporters.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Support for peace, promotion of
Slovenia as a "country of honest, hard working" people.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: She worked for a private company and after
retirement established her political party.
EDUCATION: High school graduate.
FAMILY: Married with two children.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: N/A.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: She established the Voice of
Women of Slovenia to counter the announcement made by a Labor
Minister in (1998) that women would have to work until the age of
65.
10. (SBU) Lojze Peterle
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 5 July 1948 in Cuznja vas Dolenjska.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: member of the New Slovenia (NSi) -
basically a Christian Democratic party, which is in the coalition).
LJUBLJANA 00000662 004 OF 004
CONSTITUENCIES: All parties from the leading coalition, except
DeSUS, have expressed support for his candidacy (SDS, NSi, and
SLS).
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - EU presidency, relations with
neighbors, Western Balkans.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: He was the first Slovene Prime Minister
after Slovenia's first democratic elections in 1990, Foreign
Minister twice, and is currently a member of the European
Parliament.
EDUCATION: BA in Geography and History.
FAMILY: Married with three children.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Fluent in English, French, German, Russian,
Italian, Serbian, and Croatian.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He was the Prime Minister of
Slovenia right after independence and won a battle with cancer some
years ago.
Comment
--------------
11. (SBU) There are three frontrunners for the position: Lojze
Peterle, Mitja Gaspari, and Dr. Danilo Tuerk. According to public
opinion polls conducted by different media, and also according to
some political commentators, two things are more or less clear:
Peterle will win in the first round, but not with an absolute
majority, so there will be a second round of voting scheduled for
November 11. In the second round Tuerk or Gaspari, who are both
considered politically oriented more left than right, have better
chances to win significant votes from each other in a second round
against Peterle. So, the percentage Peterle gets in the first round
will be key. If he gets less than 40 percent he will have serious
trouble winning in the second round. END COMMENT.
COLEMAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS SNAPSHOT
Ref: Ljubljana 513
Summary
--------------
1. (U) Slovenia's Presidential election will take place this
Sunday, October 21. The State Electoral Commission has confirmed the
candidacies of seven citizens. The top two finishers will go to a
second round on November 11 if neither garners over 50 percent of
the vote. Polls still predict European Parliamentarian Lojze
Peterle to make it to the second round, although he might lose in
the second round to his opponent, likely to be former UN high-level
official Danilo Tuerk, but possibly former Central Bank Governor
Mitja Gaspari. END SUMMARY.
2. (SBU) While the candidates have been holding debates and
campaigning across Slovenia, these elections are not attracting a
huge amount of national, much less international, attention. The
President of the Republic of Slovenia, elected for a five year term
and for a maximum of two consecutive terms, is its Head of State and
the Commander-in-Chief of the Defense Forces of Slovenia. Everybody
expects the elections to be free and fair, although there has been
concern about ballots distributed to Slovenian voters living abroad.
First the State Electoral Commission sent ballots only to Slovene
citizens living abroad who had expressed a wish to vote (approx.
5,000). But, after a subsequent closed-door discussion by the
Electoral Commission, an additional 50,000 ballots were sent to
voters residing abroad. There is a strong belief among Slovene
voters that a great majority of votes coming from abroad would be in
favor of the right of center candidate Peterle.
3. (U) The State Electoral Commission used a lottery to determine
the order of candidates on the ballot for the October 21
Presidential elections. It is as follows: 1. Darko Kranjc; 2. Zmago
Jelincic; 3. Mitja Gaspari; 4. Danilo Tuerk; 5. Elena Pecaric; 6.
Monika Piberl; and 7. Lojze Peterle. The government will set up a
press center in Ljubljana on Election Day to cover the elections.
Snapshot of candidates
--------------
4. (SBU) Darko Kranjc
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 09 May 1975 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: President of the Youth Party of
Slovenia (SMS),non-parliamentarian, considered to be center- left.
CONSTITUENCIES: SMS loyalists and possibly fresh voters.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Not very supportive; he would keep the best
companies in State hands.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports but would give priority to domestic
companies.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Care for environment, withdrawal from
NATO, protection of human rights.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: President of SMS since 2004; before that he
was president of the Student Organization of Slovenia.
EDUCATION: MA in Social Work.
FAMILY: Not married but has a partner.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He spent his childhood in a
foster family and is vice-president of the Foster families
Association of Slovenia.
5. (SBU) Zmago Jelincic Plemeniti
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 07 January 1948 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: President of the Slovene National
Party (SNS),a barely-defined political party that is currently in
the opposition.
CONSTITUENCIES: SNS loyalists and other nationalists.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
LJUBLJANA 00000662 002 OF 004
--PRIVATIZATION - Supportive, but with Slovene owners.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports if it suits him for his personal
interests. So, he would support Hit-Harrah's investment if they
sponsor construction of aviation museum in Ajdovscina (he is the
president of the Aviation Association of Slovenia).
FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Relations with Croatia and other
neighbors.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: President of SNS since its foundation in
March 1991; previously he established a pharmaceutical company that
closed down after the collapse of former Yugoslavia.
EDUCATION: High school graduate (pharmacy).
FAMILY: Married twice, with two daughters and a son from the first
marriage.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent),Serbian (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He is a lifetime member of
National Rifle Association of America (NRA) and a member of American
Pharmaceutical Association (AphA). He is a strong personality who
personifies his party. He and his party strongly opposed Slovene
integration into EU, however, he often changes his beliefs according
to his personal benefits.
6. (SBU) Mitja Gaspari
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 25 November 1951 in Ljubljana.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: Not affiliated with, but supported by
the Liberal Democrats of Slovenia (LDS) (in the opposition).
CONSTITUENCIES: LDS loyalists and some bankers.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports gradual approach.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Strongly supports foreign investments to
increase competition.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - EU presidency, Western Balkans,
neighbors.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: Governor of the Bank of Slovenia, Minister
of Finance, employee of the World Bank in Washington where he lived
for one year (1991 - 1992).
EDUCATION: MD in Economics.
FAMILY: Married.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent),Serbian (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: Gaspari is expert in finance and
banking and one of the ones most responsible for Slovenia's
successful entrance into Euro zone. Gaspari is currently placing
third in the polls. He is widely respected, but not viewed as being
in touch with the common Slovenian.
7. (SBU) Danilo Tuerk
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 19 February 1952 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: Not affiliated with, but supported by
the center-left opposition parties of: Social Democrats (SD),Zares
- New Politics, as well as the Democratic Party of Pensioners of
Slovenia (DeSUS),which is in the coalition.
CONSTITUENCIES: SD, Zares, DeSUS loyalists, and intellectuals.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports gradual approach.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports foreign investments.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - EU presidency, protection of human
rights, Western Balkans, neighbors, environment.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: Assistant to the Secretary General of the UN
for Political Affairs, Slovene Ambassador to UN in New York,
Professor of International Law at Ljubljana University.
LJUBLJANA 00000662 003 OF 004
EDUCATION: PhD in International Law.
FAMILY: Married, with daughter.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English (fluent),Serbian (fluent).
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He is a Slovene diplomat with
great experience. Notably, he led the Slovene Mission to the UN in
New York during Slovenia's presidency of the Security Council in
1999. He has been gaining recently in the polls, but he and Gaspari
will likely split the center-left vote.
8. (SBU) Elena Pecaric
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 6 October 1971 in Ljubljana.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: Not affiliated
CONSTITUENCIES: Partial support from organizations of disabled.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports gradual approach.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports foreign investments.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Protection of human rights, protection
of environment.
OFFICES HELD: Currently she is the President of the Association for
Theory and Culture of Handicap, where she is responsible for project
"Independent Life of Disabled."
EDUCATION: BA in Philosophy and in Sociology of Culture.
FAMILY: Not married but has a partner.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: She is the first among the
disabled to run for president in independent Slovenia. Some
organizations for the disabled support her candidacy as a showcase,
to demonstrate that the disabled can enter politics actively.
Because of internal disputes in the Slovene Association of Disabled,
some are very negative about her exposure to the public.
9. (SBU) Monika Piberl
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 4 January 1950 in Maribor.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: President of the Voice of Women of
Slovenia, a non-parliamentary party.
CONSTITUENCIES: Members of her party and local supporters.
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - Support for peace, promotion of
Slovenia as a "country of honest, hard working" people.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: She worked for a private company and after
retirement established her political party.
EDUCATION: High school graduate.
FAMILY: Married with two children.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: N/A.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: She established the Voice of
Women of Slovenia to counter the announcement made by a Labor
Minister in (1998) that women would have to work until the age of
65.
10. (SBU) Lojze Peterle
DATE/PLACE OF BIRTH: 5 July 1948 in Cuznja vas Dolenjska.
POLITICAL PARTY/AFFILIATION: member of the New Slovenia (NSi) -
basically a Christian Democratic party, which is in the coalition).
LJUBLJANA 00000662 004 OF 004
CONSTITUENCIES: All parties from the leading coalition, except
DeSUS, have expressed support for his candidacy (SDS, NSi, and
SLS).
POSITION ON KEY ISSUES:
--PRIVATIZATION - Supports.
--FOREIGN INVESTMENT - Supports.
--FOREIGN POLICY PRIORITIES - EU presidency, relations with
neighbors, Western Balkans.
PREVIOUS OFFICES HELD: He was the first Slovene Prime Minister
after Slovenia's first democratic elections in 1990, Foreign
Minister twice, and is currently a member of the European
Parliament.
EDUCATION: BA in Geography and History.
FAMILY: Married with three children.
OTHER LANGUAGES SPOKEN: Fluent in English, French, German, Russian,
Italian, Serbian, and Croatian.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION OF INTEREST: He was the Prime Minister of
Slovenia right after independence and won a battle with cancer some
years ago.
Comment
--------------
11. (SBU) There are three frontrunners for the position: Lojze
Peterle, Mitja Gaspari, and Dr. Danilo Tuerk. According to public
opinion polls conducted by different media, and also according to
some political commentators, two things are more or less clear:
Peterle will win in the first round, but not with an absolute
majority, so there will be a second round of voting scheduled for
November 11. In the second round Tuerk or Gaspari, who are both
considered politically oriented more left than right, have better
chances to win significant votes from each other in a second round
against Peterle. So, the percentage Peterle gets in the first round
will be key. If he gets less than 40 percent he will have serious
trouble winning in the second round. END COMMENT.
COLEMAN