Pahor beats Turk in Slovenian presidential election

LJUBLJANA - Former Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor won the runoff of 2012 presidential election on Sunday, beating the incumbent President Danilo Turk, according to the exit poll carried out by local televisions.

Pahor won 67.03 percent of votes, while Turk, who seeks second term, got 32.97 percent, the preliminary results showed.

The latest presidential elections in Slovenia, the fifth of its kind since the former republic of Yugoslavia declared independence in 1991, kicked off three weeks ago.

The run-off election took place as there was no candidate winning an outright majority in the first round.

Slovenia's president, with a five-year term, is largely a ceremonial post. However, as head of state, he is custodian of the national constitution and the supreme commander of the country's armed forces.

Pahor, 49, was prime minister between November 2008 and February 2012. His cabinet failed in September 2011 to pass confidence vote in the National Assembly due to its failure to deal with worsening political and economic crisis.

Pahor's setbacks prompted a snap parliamentary vote last December and he was succeeded by incumbent Prime Minister Janez Jansa in February 2012.

During his latest presidential campaign, Pahor promised to do his best to restore confidence among politicians and people, and to seek political consensus to tackle the crisis in Slovenia.

On foreign affairs, he advocated to give first priority to the maintenance of good relations with all of its neighboring countries, because most of the country's trade is done with these countries and most investment comes from them.

He suggested Slovenia play more political influence in the Western Balkans, strengthen strategic partnerships with EU countries, and enhance its political and economic cooperation with main global powers.

He also stood for Slovenia's involvement in international peacekeeping missions organized by international organizations, especially the NATO.

Pahor reiterated his pledge soon after he was unofficially announced winner of the presidential run-off.

This is "only the beginning, the beginning of something new, a new hope, a new period, " he told reporters.

"We need trust, mutual respect, tolerance, readiness to listen. And irrespective of how big the differences among us may be, the things that connect us are even stronger."