Slovenia's prime minister concedes electoral defeat

SLOVENIA: SLOVENIA'S PRIME minister Janez Jansa has belatedly conceded to his centre-left rival after a surprise election defeat for his Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).

The way is now clear for former communist Borut Pahor, leader of the Social Democrats, to form a coalition government with the like-minded Zares and Liberal parties.

Together they would have 43 seats in the 90-seat parliament and would probably secure a majority by joining with the Pensioners' Party, which was also a member of Mr Jansa's alliance and which took seven seats in the election.

Mr Jansa had refused to admit defeat in the September 21st election and complained about alleged irregularities in polling booths around the capital, Ljubljana.

However, he conceded defeat to Mr Pahor after final results published late on Monday, including ballots cast abroad, gave the Social Democrats 30.45 per cent of the vote - or 29 seats in parliament - and the SDS 29.26 per cent, or 28 seats.

"It is obvious that the SDS will, from now on, be in the opposition," Mr Jansa said. "We will represent a constructive opposition.

"It is clear the number of seats in parliament will not change . . . I hope those forming the new government will do it as soon as possible."

Mr Jansa took power in November 2004, just months after Slovenia joined the European Union and Nato, and he oversaw a period of sustained economic growth, adoption of the euro in 2007 and his country's presidency of the EU in the first half of 2008.

However, a slowdown in the economy and rising inflation unsettled Slovenians, who enjoy the highest standard of living in former communist eastern Europe.

Growing unease with Mr Jansa and the Slovenian Democratic Party was compounded by allegations that he took bribes as part of his country's biggest-ever deal for military hardware.

A Finnish television company reported that a Helsinki arms company paid €21 million through intermediaries to Mr Jansa and other officials to win a €278 million contract to supply Slovenia with armoured vehicles.

Mr Jansa has denied the charges and has demanded an apology from the Finnish broadcaster.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times