Unaffiliated MP Ivan Vogrin has proposed Dušan Radonjič, professor at Maribor Economic Faculty, for prime minister-designate, claiming a sufficient number of MPs have promised to support the nomination, which would be filed by midnight tomorrow.
While media in Slovenia have expressed doubts about whether Vogrin truly has backing for the nomination, the MP tweeted that 16 MPs - six more than needed - have promised to sign the nomination without knowing the name of the candidate.
Vogrin reiterated today that he has sufficient pledges of support to file the nomination in parliament, although he refused to say whether he has already collected the signatures. He also did not disclose the names of those who have pledged support, saying he wanted to protect them from the media.
The announcement was accompanied by confusion, as Vogrin announced via Twitter just minutes before the press conference that he would be proposing former Zares MP and candid camera star Franci Kek for PM designate. He later claimed that his Twitter account had been abused.
Vogrin said that a group of unaffiliated MPs drafted a strategy under which ministers would be proposed by parties based on the number of seats they hold in the National Assembly.
He said that the Democrats (SDS) would propose four ministers, Positive Slovenia (PS), Social Democrats (SD) and unaffiliated MPs two each, while the Pensioners' Party (DeSUS), the People's Party (SLS) and the Citizens' List (DL) would get one each.
The move comes as a surprise and has been criticised by most deputy groups, which have all relinquished the right to propose a PM-designate in order to allow for an early election as soon as possible, after Prime Minister Alenka Bratušek stepped down earlier this month.
Vogrin, who used to be a member of the Citizens' List (DL), said that he would meet parliamentary deputy groups today to lobby for support for Radonjič, who stood on the list of the non-parliamentary Zares party in the 2011 general election.
If he can file the nomination, parliament will hold up to three rounds of voting on Radonjič, whereby the nominee will require an absolute majority in the first two, but only a simple majority in the final round.
Vogrin has said he is hoping that his nominee will be able to win a simple majority, which would delay an early election - now expected to be held in July - until after the summer season.
Source: The Slovenia Times
