Slovenia elects president

Slovenians went to the polls to elect a new president today, just two months before the country is to take over the rotating European Union presidency.

Seven candidates are bidding to replace Janez Drnovsek, who has decided he has had enough of politics.

He took office as prime minister in 1992, when Slovenia gained independence from Yugoslavia, and became president in 2002.

The front-runner for the five-year term is Lojze Peterle, 59, a conservative MEP. He is campaigning as an independent but is supported by Prime Minister Janez Jansa’s centre-right government.

He has had a clear lead in surveys. But they show him with only about 28% support, and a runoff in two weeks’ time seems likely.

Trailing with 15-17% are Danilo Tuerk, 55, who was Slovenia’s ambassador to the UN, and Mitja Gaspari, 55, a former Central Bank governor credited with the country’s smooth adoption of the euro in January.

Officially independent, each is backed by a different centre-left opposition party.

Slovenia opposed the US-led war in Iraq and refused to send troops. It now has four instructors training Iraqi police.

About 1.8 million people are eligible to vote. Polling stations opened at 7am (5am Irish Time) and will close at 7pm. First official results are expected at about 9pm.