(10 Nov 2012)
1. Wide of posters of presidential candidates in the streets of Ljubljana
2. Close poster of incumbent president Danilo Turk (left) and Slovenian Democratic Party and New Slovenia coalition candidate Milan Zver (right)
3. Wide of poster
4. Mid of poster of Zver and Social Democrat candidate Borut Pahor (right)
5. Mid of Slovenian and EU flag on a building
6. Wide of main square
7. Various of people walking past beggar in street
8. Mid of people walking
9. SOUNDBITE: (Slovenian) Edo Reven, Vox Pop:
"It is evident that people are not happy with president Danilo Turk, he is not involving himself in our problems. He does not have an opinion on any subject, he does not take part in direct politics, so I think we want to see someone better, someone else."
10. Wide of street scene
11. SOUNDBITE: (Slovenian) Danica Krempart, Vox Pop:
"My favourite is Danilo Turk. I think our economic crisis will go on for few more years, then I think it will get better."
12. Wide of street scene
13. SOUNDBITE: (Slovenian) Drago Miklan, Vox Pop, pensioner:
"It's a hard life. They (the candidates) could work together and everyone would benefit, but no, they are just fighting for individual power, no one cares about the people. You can see the situation here. Unfortunately this is how the politics is here now."
14. Various Ljubljana street scenes
STORYLINE:
Three candidates are vying for the presidency of Slovenia this weekend, a tiny, economically troubled European Union nation that is riven by deep political divisions and is in danger of needing a bailout.
Incumbent president Danilo Turk is leading the polls ahead of Sunday's vote, followed by former prime minister Borut Pahor and the ruling, centre-right coalition candidate Milan Zver.
Although the presidency is a largely ceremonial post in Slovenia, the elected president commands considerable political authority and influence in the Alpine nation, which faces one of the worst recessions in the 17-country group that uses the euro.
The president also heads the army and proposes the central bank chief at the time when Slovenia is battling a crisis in the banking system created by rampant lending by state-controlled banks.
A survey published Friday by the daily Delo has predicted that Turk will win about 44 percent of the vote in the first round, followed by Pahor with 31 percent and Zver with 25 percent.
The survey was conducted with 1,012 people and the margin of error was 3 percent.
No one is expected to win an outright majority so a second round of voting is likely on December 2 between the two leading candidates.
Slovenia suffered severe recession in 2009 with the economy shrinking more than 8 percent.
It has continued to decline, resulting in a sharp drop in exports and living standards and a surge in unemployment, which now stands about 12 percent.
Bad bank loans have surged to some 6 billion, a significant figure compared to the country's gross domestic product of about 35 billion.
Slovenia's borrowing costs on its government bonds reached 7 percent this summer - a threshold that earlier prompted Greece, Ireland and Portugal to seek financial support from the EU.
Turk and Pahor have both been critical of the government of Prime Minister Janez Jansa, who also faces strong opposition in parliament to his anti-crisis measures.
Jansa's bid to recapitalise the nation's banks and create a so-called wealth fund that would manage state-owned property has been met with demands for a referendum, a move that he says would force the country to seek a bailout by year's end.


Find out more about AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]
Twitter: [ Ссылка ]
Facebook: [ Ссылка ] ​​
Instagram: [ Ссылка ]


You can license this story through AP Archive: [ Ссылка ]

свернуть