Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07LJUBLJANA665
2007-10-23 05:15:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ljubljana
Cable title:
SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS PRELIMINARY RESULTS
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UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000665
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS PRELIMINARY RESULTS
REF: Ljubljana 662, Ljubljana 513
UNCLAS LJUBLJANA 000665
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS PRELIMINARY RESULTS
REF: Ljubljana 662, Ljubljana 513
1. (U) On October 21, Slovenians voted to elect the new president
of the republic a five year term. According to unofficial
preliminary results, center-right candidate and frontrunner Lojze
Peterle will face center-left candidate Danilo Tuerk in the second
round on November 11. As of October 22, with all votes not yet
counted, Peterle has managed to get 28 percent of the votes, enough
to carry him into the second round. The competition for the second
position is close - Tuerk with 24.55, and the other major
center-left candidate, Mitja Gaspari, with 24.16 percent. The
turnout was the lowest for presidential elections so far with 57
percent.
2. (U) The State Electoral Commission will announce official results
of the first round by October 21, but it is clear that no candidate
surpassed the 50 percent mark needed to win in a first round. The
Commission still must count the votes that are coming from Slovene
voters living abroad. The second round will occur on November 11.
The new president has to take office by December 22, 2007.
3. COMMENT (SBU): Commentators were surprised that Pterle did not
garner a greater percentage of thevote. The first round results
should alert Petele of the need to attract more of his voters to
he polls in the second round. There are several rasons that
Peterle might lose. Combined, the twocenter-left candidates
attracted more votes thanPeterle, and politicos expect that those
who votd for Gaspari would vote for Tuerk in the second rund,
reflecting a victory of the left political rientation (in terms of
Slovenian-specific politis) over the right. If the same voters
come out or the second round, the left of center candidate Tuerk
most likely or Gaspari) will win. Secondly, on November 11,
Slovenes will also vote on the legislative Referendum on the Law on
Transformation of Ownership of Insurance Companies. We expect many
voters to come out to vote against the GoS proposed Law and those
voters would also vote against Peterle since he is a member of the
Government coalition party New Slovenia. Finally, the 20 percent of
Slovenes who voted for the fourth place finisher, Member of
Parliament Zmago Jelincic, are unlikely to play a role in final
results because they are not expected to support any of the two that
will go into the second round, nor are they likely to even appear at
the polling stations. END COMMENT.
COLEMAN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PINR ECON SI
SUBJECT: SLOVENIA: PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS PRELIMINARY RESULTS
REF: Ljubljana 662, Ljubljana 513
1. (U) On October 21, Slovenians voted to elect the new president
of the republic a five year term. According to unofficial
preliminary results, center-right candidate and frontrunner Lojze
Peterle will face center-left candidate Danilo Tuerk in the second
round on November 11. As of October 22, with all votes not yet
counted, Peterle has managed to get 28 percent of the votes, enough
to carry him into the second round. The competition for the second
position is close - Tuerk with 24.55, and the other major
center-left candidate, Mitja Gaspari, with 24.16 percent. The
turnout was the lowest for presidential elections so far with 57
percent.
2. (U) The State Electoral Commission will announce official results
of the first round by October 21, but it is clear that no candidate
surpassed the 50 percent mark needed to win in a first round. The
Commission still must count the votes that are coming from Slovene
voters living abroad. The second round will occur on November 11.
The new president has to take office by December 22, 2007.
3. COMMENT (SBU): Commentators were surprised that Pterle did not
garner a greater percentage of thevote. The first round results
should alert Petele of the need to attract more of his voters to
he polls in the second round. There are several rasons that
Peterle might lose. Combined, the twocenter-left candidates
attracted more votes thanPeterle, and politicos expect that those
who votd for Gaspari would vote for Tuerk in the second rund,
reflecting a victory of the left political rientation (in terms of
Slovenian-specific politis) over the right. If the same voters
come out or the second round, the left of center candidate Tuerk
most likely or Gaspari) will win. Secondly, on November 11,
Slovenes will also vote on the legislative Referendum on the Law on
Transformation of Ownership of Insurance Companies. We expect many
voters to come out to vote against the GoS proposed Law and those
voters would also vote against Peterle since he is a member of the
Government coalition party New Slovenia. Finally, the 20 percent of
Slovenes who voted for the fourth place finisher, Member of
Parliament Zmago Jelincic, are unlikely to play a role in final
results because they are not expected to support any of the two that
will go into the second round, nor are they likely to even appear at
the polling stations. END COMMENT.
COLEMAN