Polling begins in Slovenia’s presidential election

Zagreb, Oct 23 (EFE).- Polling booths opened in Slovenia at 7 am on Sunday for the first round of presidential elections in the country.

Nearly 1.7 million Slovenians are eligible to vote until 7 pm among the seven candidates to replace incumbent president Borut Pahor, of the Social Democrats party.

Polls indicate that only three of the candidates have a chance of making it to the runoff, scheduled for Nov.13.

They are the right-wing former Foreign Minister Anze Logar and two center-left candidates, including independent lawyer Natasa Pirc Musar and Social Democrat MEP Milan Brglez.

The latest polls place Logar as the clear favorite, with 25 percent of the votes, followed by Pirc Musar, with 20 percent, and Brglez, with 12 percent.

Logar is running as an independent candidate, supported by the conservative Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).

Pirc Musar is endorsed by the Pirate and Youth Party-European Greens parties and two former center-left presidents.

Brglez is the candidate of the ruling coalition made up of the Social Democrats party, to which he belongs, and Liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob’s Freedom Movement.

According to the country’s constitution, the president represents the Republic of Slovenia and is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces.

The head of state does not have the right to veto laws and also has very limited powers to influence the formation of the government.

The president is directly elected by the people for a five-year term and can hold only two consecutive terms in office. EFE

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