LJUBLJANA, Jan 30 (Hina) - President Janez Drnovsek will not give any special statements about his stand on Slovenia's entry to NATO, although at a session on dilemmas about a referendum on this issue the parliamentary opposition
insisted on the president's public address.
LJUBLJANA, Jan 30 (Hina) - President Janez Drnovsek will not give
any special statements about his stand on Slovenia's entry to NATO,
although at a session on dilemmas about a referendum on this issue
the parliamentary opposition insisted on the president's public
address. #L#
President Drnovsek's stands are clear and the same as when he was
the premier, government officials said at the beginning of a
parliamentary session on Thursday afternoon.
MPs from two opposition parties - Social Democrats (SDS) and New
Slovenia (N.Si) - demanded that the decision on calling the
referendum on Slovenia's admission to the European Union and NATO
be postponed for Friday, when Drnovsek should explain in parliament
a statement he gave in Davos when he said that a unilateral
operation in Iraq would diminish the possibilities of the success
of the referendum in Slovenia.
Slovene non-governmental organisations, which oppose the United
States' intervention in Iraq, say they will stage peaceful anti-war
rallies in front of the parliament and the U.S Embassy in Ljubljana
at the end of this week.
According to an opinion poll conducted this month within a project
called "Politbarometar" there was a fall in Slovenes' favour of the
country's accession to the alliance. In December 54.8 percent of
respondents were in favour of joining NATO, while in January 44
percent of them said they would vote for Slovenia's membership of
NATO.
(hina) ms sb