Politics, / By STA

Slovenian President Borut Pahor has dissolved the National Assembly and called a snap general election for 13 July. Signing the order, Pahor repeated the chosen date was the best possible given the situation.

"Considering the date and the manner of the government's resignation and the strictly prescribed deadlines...13 July is the best date," Pahor said, urging citizens to use the election to the common good.

He repeated that the president was not free to decide the election day, but was bound by the law, Constitution and parliamentary rules of procedure.

In this way Pahor responded to criticism by some non-parliamentary groups, which have announced a constitutional challenge of the date if scheduled for the summer when many voters are away on holidays.

Under the Constitution, a new legislature needs to be elected within two months after the dissolution of the National Assembly, which precludes delaying the election until September.

A snap election is a "much much better choice for the country and all of us than a fourth attempt to appoint a prime-minister designate or a third government in one term would be", Pahor said.

The dissolution of parliament comes after Prime Minister Bratušek resigned on 8 May, having lost the leadership of Positive Slovenia (PS) to Ljubljana Mayor Zoran Janković.

Bratušek took over 13 months earlier after the Janez Janša government was voted out after only a year in office over a damning graft report.

Pahor said it was in a way auspicious that the summer break would be used for talks on government formation. Considering the experience, he expects the new cabinet could be appointed in mid-September.

He believes that the next government and parliament would have the opportunity and responsibility to start bringing Slovenia back among the most advanced group of countries.

This is the second time in Slovenia's history that the National Assembly will end its term early. The previous legislature was dissolved in October 2011, a month after voting out the Borut Pahor cabinet.

The current line-up held its maiden session on 21 December 2011. The term of outgoing deputies will end as a new chamber is inaugurated after the election.

The dissolution was made possible after MPs established earlier today that no nomination for PM-designate had been filed by the final deadline.

All deputy groups reiterated today that holding the election on 13 July was the best possible scenario, given the circumstances.

