Slovenians vote in general election

Slovenia's centre-left Liberal Democrats were poised to lose their first general election in over a decade yesterday as exit polls forecast a victory for the centre-right Slovenian Democrats.

But while some changes in domestic policy might be expected, analysts say a shift to the right would have little impact on foreign policy in the prosperous Alpine state of two million people, which joined the European Union this year.

Both ends of the political spectrum hope Slovenia will adopt the euro in 2007 and favour gradual privatisation of large state-owned companies in telecommunications, insurance, banking and energy sectors.

Exit poll results released by Pop TV moments after polling stations closed at 1700 GMT showed Janez Jansa's centre-right Slovenian Democrats (SDS) ahead with 30.2 per cent of the vote, nearly double the 15.8 per cent it won in 2000.

Prime Minister Anton Rop's centre-left Liberal Democrats (LDS) - Slovenia's ruling party for most of the past 12 years - came in second with 22.3 per cent, down from 36.2 per cent four years ago.

Results were in from the first 11.8 per cent of the votes and appeared to confirm the exit polls, with the SDS taking 28.2 per cent followed by the LDS at 24.5 per cent. This would give the SDS 29 of the 90 seats in parliament, three more than the LDS.

"We expected to win, we worked hard and... were the first ones to offer an alternative government programme," the 46-year-old Jansa told Pop TV after the exit poll results.

The ruling LDS' main coalition partner, the formerly communist United List of Social Democrats, won 10.4 per cent of the vote while the third party in the present government, the pensioners' party Desus, received 4.2 per cent.

The centre-right SDS' conservative allies, New Slovenia, took 8.2 per cent of the vote and their other likely coalition partner, the conservative People's Party won 6.5 per cent.

Turnout dropped sharply, with about 60 per cent of eligible voters participating, versus 70.4 per cent four years ago.